Darkness, Unleashed
by Mrs.JohnReese
Summary: It was an old proverb. A caution to those who would seek to venture out into the great vastness of space. "Do not stare too long at the darkness; for if you do, it will only stare back at you." These were the words Admiral Pike's daughter grew up with. Words to live by. So what will happen when Khan tears her world apart; threatening her with his own version of darkness? Khan/OC
1. Return to how it was

Flinging the keys haphazardly on her countertop; Charlotte set the bag of vegetables down near the sink, before turning and shutting the door to her flat with a snap. The ever present crease between her eyebrows was unwavering as she began slowly unpacking the fruits of her grocery trip; her mouth turning down in a frown almost of its own accord as she caught sight of the blinking number 'one' on her answering machine. A gut feeling told her she already knew who it was…and partly as an effort to stall the inevitable, she resolutely continued on with her task of washing and storing the food she had purchased; flicking the switch of her cd player on and selecting a tune as she worked. The music helped drown her nagging sense of sadness a bit as she went through the motions of setting aside some carrots and celery for dinner later on; covering them carefully, before striding out of the kitchen and into the living room proper.

Flopping down on the couch, Charlotte dragged a hand through her red curls; sighing a bit in relief as she sank back on the cushions and shut her eyes. Since the day she had returned to headquarters, scarcely a month ago; she had found nothing as comforting as remaining secluded in the shelter of her apartment, and this day was no exception. In spite of their attempts at persuading her otherwise; she had been able to resist the urges of her former crew members to come out with them, 'just this once.' The only one who had been able to convince her to do anything even remotely resembling socializing was now off on another mission…and Charlotte was alone. Everyone else had, respectfully, given up their attempts at dragging her out.

Which was just the way she liked it.

Being alone meant she didn't have to face the pity in everyone's eyes when she was around. She wouldn't have to answer seemingly hollow questions regarding how she was feeling. How she was coping. Remaining in isolation offered her a type of comfort that no other living soul could. And though a part of her knew that this was in no way healthy; she persisted, holding onto her solitude as the only possible means of keeping her mother alive in her mind.

With her eyes closed, Charlotte could still hear her mother's laugh. She could still see her face light up as her daughter accepted the position as a member of her father's crew aboard the Enterprise. She could feel warm arms circling around her shoulders in a tight hug before leaving on her first mission. And she wouldn't have to face the fact that she would never feel those arms around her again. At least not in this world. _This _world that would have her forget. That would have her move on; keeping up with the rest of the living as though losing the one person she had depended on the most was merely a blip on her radar. That such a loss hadn't destroyed her world, and her relationship with her remaining parent. But the truth of the matter was, it had. And that was, in part, why Charlotte had put so much effort into avoiding her answering machine.

Until now.

Letting a small groan escape, the young woman hauled herself up into a sitting position; leaning over towards the table beside her as she reluctantly pushed the button next to the blinking screen. Biting her lower lip, she flinched internally as her former suspicions were confirmed by the voice that echoed over the soft beats of the music.

"_Charlotte…Char, honey, it's your father. Look…I know I said some things when you came back that uh…weren't exactly fair. And I'm sorry. Sweetheart, you have no idea how much I regret pushing you away like I did. So please…call me back? I just…I need to hear your voice, Char. Please."_

As the beep signifying the end of the message rang out, Charlotte pursed her lips; shaking her head slightly before leaning back in the couch and resting her arm against her forehead. It was probably childish; how she had been avoiding her father. But what he had said…what he had accused her of when the both of them learned about the training accident that had ripped her mother from the world…she knew somehow that she wasn't going to be able to walk back to him with open arms and pretend none of it had happened. He had been able to dive back into work; as though his ex-wife meant nothing to him. But things weren't that easy for his daughter. Not in the slightest.

That he had thought of her as weak…told her if she couldn't straighten out her emotions, then she had no place on one of his ships…those words had cut her, deeply. And she wasn't entirely sure she would ever be able to forgive; or forget. At least not now.

A loud banging on her door startled Charlotte back into the present then; and she found herself groaning again as she slowly got up from her position on the couch, irritation turning to surprise as a familiar voice spoke from beyond the door.

"Charlotte? Charlotte, it's Jim."

Freezing in place, Charlotte's eyes widened as she watched the door vibrate slightly with the force of her best friend's knocking; shock that he was here, and not on some far off planet paralyzing her for a moment until his voice rang out once more.

"Charlotte Elizabeth Pike, if you don't open this door…"

"Alright, alright Mr. Impatient; I'm coming!" She hollered, a smile gracing her lips for the briefest of moments at the playful threat in her friend's tone. Reaching the door, she flung it open before the impatient man on the other side had a chance to actually attempt breaking it down; letting out a yelp of surprise as she found herself squeezed into strong arms, one of Jim's feet darting out at the last second to shut the apartment door as he swung her around in a circle.

"Jim?" Charlotte whispered; shock still coloring her voice as she finally found her feet on solid ground again "I thought you were still circling around Nibiru."

"We just got back" He replied; a brief flicker of something unrecognizable flashing through his eyes as he steadied Charlotte so she could regain her footing "And I wanted to see how you were doing."

Narrowing her eyes up at him, Charlotte paused a moment; not for a second believing her friend's short explanation as the sole reason for his visit. Gesturing for him to sit, she moved to walk into the kitchen to grab something for the two of them to drink; only to gasp in shock as Jim's hand locked around her wrist and pulled her towards the couch so that she sat beside him.

"Jim…what is it?" She inquired; gently unlatching his hand from her wrist so that she could take it in her own "C'mon. I know you well enough to tell when you're upset about something."

"I'm not…"

"You are, Jim. Otherwise you would've called, like you always do, before coming over."

For a moment, Charlotte watched as Jim remained speechless…a rarity for him, to be sure…but she didn't have long to wait before he was squeezing her hand with his own; and getting up to walk over to the window overlooking the street below as he spoke.

"I've been removed from the ship. The Enterprise…I'm no longer her captain."

"What?"

"Your dad told me I was reckless. That I didn't follow the rules."

"Well…Jim, you really don't; you know."

Shooting his friend a look that was a mix of acknowledgment and frustration; Jim shoved a hand through his hair, an irritated growl leaving him as Charlotte stood from the couch and moved to stand beside him. The feel of her hand on his shoulder calmed him, just like it always had…and he shook his head slightly; grabbing her hand with one of his own as he asked:

"Why did we never just listen to our dads and get together?"

Laughing at the almost predictable change of conversation to something less…serious, Charlotte pulled Jim to her; forcing all of her sympathy into her embrace as she hugged him tightly and spoke into his jacket.

"Because that would've made them happy."

"And when were we _ever_ about to do that willingly?"

"Exactly" Charlotte replied; winking at him and shrugging away so that she could head back towards the kitchen "Want a drink? To celebrate your return, and plot your revenge?"

"No…" Jim began; turning to face his friend and watching as her face fell at his seeming refusal of her offer "Not a drink here. We're going out."

"Out?"

"That's right. Out."

"Jim, I don't really think…" Charlotte said; fiddling with the hem of her sleeve absently as she ducked her head down to avoid meeting Jim's determined stare "I really don't think that's such a great idea."

"C'mon Lottie" The former Starfleet captain argued; answering his friend's glare at the irritating pet name with a smile as he continued to wheedle her "Just this once. Come out of isolation. For me?"

"Kirk, don't you dare try to pout to get your way…"

"I use the methods that work" He responded, walking over to pin Charlotte between the edge of the kitchen counter and his body as he turned her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes "C'mon…you know you want to…"

Looking up at her friend, Charlotte rolled her eyes; nudging him away from her with a snort as she gave in to his demand.

"Fine. But I'm not your wing man. Or your back up if you get yourself into another fight. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, boss."

Laughing…_really _laughing, for the first time in what felt like ages; Charlotte stepped into her bedroom to grab her purse, almost eager to get out with her friend and have a night on the time. Only Kirk was able to push her past her own rigid boundaries sometimes…

And she supposed she couldn't really complain about that.

…

**Greetings darling readers! I'd like to thank all of you for giving this little thing a chance despite it being my first fic for this fandom. I'll warn you all now that I only just saw STID yesterday; and that I'm not all that familiar with the lore concerning its characters and places. But I will promise you that I will do my best to stay as accurate as possible with research and such. And if at any point you find something that's not quite right, don't hesitate to let me know, okay?**

**That being said, now is the time for me to ask you for your opinion on this little intro! Pending your interest (or lack thereof) the future chapters would of course be longer. But I'd love to hear what you think. Should I continue? Should I drop this like a hot potato? I'm really excited to hear your thoughts! So don't hesitate to leave them in a review!**

**Many thanks again for taking the time to read this. Hopefully, with enough interest, more chapters will come!**

**MJR**


	2. Back to the Fold

"Prime directive or not, Char; I saved his _life_! That ought to count for something" James Kirk exclaimed; raising his voice so that he could be heard over the loud music that was attempting to drown out all possibility of conversation. Once again he found anger…hurt…_ betrayal_…rising to the surface as he contemplated what his First Officer had done to put him in this position; and it was only the shocking coolness of the drink he had just downed that prevented him from saying more, allowing Charlotte to step in and speak.

"I know that, Jim" She said; toying with the straw in her own drink absently as she tried to get around her friend's anger to make him see the logic in his first officer's actions "But you know better than anyone that once he feels compelled to do something…once he's required to speak up…he can't fight it. It's just his nature."

"So you're excusing him."

"Not at all" Charlotte replied; a knowing smile toying with the corners of her mouth as she shook her head "I'm just trying to put ideas into your head that I know you won't accept anyway. You know…so that I can at least tell Spock I _tried_ to get you to see his side."

"Well, you did try. Admirably, in fact."

"See?"

Shaking his head at her; Jim looped an arm around Charlotte's shoulders, pulling her with him onto the dance floor and laughing at her look of sheer embarrassment as she attempted to wriggle free.

"Jim…Jim, no!"

"C'mon, one dance…" Kirk pleaded, lowering his hands to catch Charlotte's as he tugged her still further onto the floor "For old time's sake."

Lips thinning despite the acquiescing nod she offered her friend, Charlotte stepped closer to him; focusing on the warmth of his embrace as the song blaring around them slowed into a softer tune. Recognition hit her at once as the lyrics he had attempted to use to woo her when they first met a few years prior reached her ears; and she peered up at him then, a faint smile twirking at the corners of her mouth as she narrowed her eyes.

"You planned this."

The mock accusation in her tone had Jim laughing in an instant, and he twirled her around once; before pulling her close yet again as he replied.

"If you didn't want me plotting things, then maybe you shouldn't have taken so long in the bathroom."

"So shoot a girl for wanting to look presentable" Charlotte quipped; swatting at Jim's shoulder as the two friends settled into an easy rhythm, the smile he leveled at her close to blinding as it always was. Allowing him to take the lead, she curled into him; smiling at how easy it was to let him make her forget all of the worries she had. Since their first meeting he had been able to sneak under her carefully projected façade of having it all together…and that quality had been what had drawn her to him; in spite of his 'reputation' with women. Given that very same reputation, many thought it surprising that Charlotte had become more than just a conquest to her friend…but it was that bond that had gotten them through everything that tried to break the both of them in their first mission together. The very same bond that would get them through this newest storm; when everything they had come to believe about Starfleet hung in the balance.

The duo spent the remainder of the song in comfortable silence; Charlotte allowing Jim to lead her back to the bar at its end, and flag down the bartender for more drinks. For her part, she was perfectly content to just ignore the current situation…ignore everything with her father…and just enjoy being out with a friend. If that meant she permitted Jim to get her a bit silly with liquor…well then, that's what it meant.

A nudge from Jim finally succeeded in jolting out of her thoughts with a start; and Charlotte fought back a laugh as she looked in the direction he had just inclined his head, immediately rolling her eyes as she saw the woman sitting opposite her at the bar.

"No way, Romeo" She said; shaking her head and taking a sip of the drink that had just arrived "I'm not you're wing man, remember."

"What if I don't need a wing man?" Jim asked; winking at Charlotte and downing the rest of his own drink as he went on "What if I was just…"

"Just alerting me to your next conquest?"

"Something like that…"

Laughing at her friend, Charlotte shifted in her seat; ready to watch him, in all likelihood, embarrass himself, only to find herself startled once again as a man took the seat in between Jim and the intended victim of his relentless flirting.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything" Admiral Christopher Pike said from his seat beside them; giving Jim a knowing look before his eyes landed on his daughter "Charlotte."

"Dad."

"How did you find us?" Jim interjected then, his former attitude of relaxation shifting to one that was almost tense as he shared a look with his friend. Her eyes were conflicted in a myriad of emotions at that moment, and the former captain only barely tore his gaze from Charlotte's troubled one as Pike answered him.

"I know the two of you better than you think I do."

Charlotte's answering snort caused a flash of something akin to pain to reach the Admiral's eyes; but he weathered on, eyes riveted on his daughter as she downed the rest of her drink in one gulp while he addressed the young man before him.

"It's not the first time I found you in a dump like this" He began; a faint smile at the memory crossing his otherwise tired features "You got your ass handed to you that night. You remember that?"

"No, I don't."

"You don't? Because that was an epic beating."

"No it wasn't" Jim argued; shaking his head and sparing a glance at Charlotte, who had turned slightly so that she was staring into her empty glass. He could tell that she was bothered by her father's presence…by his seeming lack of interest in addressing her at all…but before he could do anything to bring her into the conversation, Pike was speaking again.

"You had napkins hanging out of your nose."

Unable to resist laughing at the ridiculous memory, Jim twisted his glass in his hand; listening to the ice rattle against the edges before he said "Yeah, that was a good fight."

"A good fight…" Pike cut in, shaking his head and sparing a glance for his daughter, who was still stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze before going on "I think that's the problem right there."

"Problem?"

Sensing that he wasn't going to get anywhere in attempting to persuade Kirk to admit his overt disregard for the rules; Admiral Pike opted for a different tactic, knowing that this one stood a higher chance of getting the reckless young man's attention. His ship…

"They gave her back to me" Pike said; taking a sip of his own concoction and swallowing slowly before continuing "The Enterprise."

This revelation piqued Jim's interest, and Charlotte's too; and Admiral Pike risked a faint smile over his victory, knowing he had the two individuals' undivided attention now as prepared to go on with his little speech. The speech that would, hopefully, bring both his daughter and her friend back under his command. Before he could continue, however; Jim was addressing him once again, his tone guarded as he said:

"Congratulations. Watch your back with that First Officer though."

"Spock's not going to work with me. He's been transferred" Pike countered; taking note of the slight raise to his daughter's eyebrows as he went on "You're gonna be my first officer, Jim."

The Admiral shifted his attention to his daughter, then; his voice softening just a bit as he added "And your position is still open too, Char. Just like old times."

"Dad…" Charlotte began, her protest against what was clearly an attempt to win her back to his side of things dying in her throat as her father held up his hand; his eyes boring into hers as he explained exactly how he had secured her position, and that of her friend.

"Admiral Marcus took some convincing" He said; alternating between looking at his soon to be First Officer, and his daughter "But every now and then, I can make a good case."

"Yeah, you can…"

"What did you tell him?" Jim interrupted; halting Charlotte in mid-sentence as he found himself suddenly jolted out of his apparent daze while reality began to sink in. This was his chance. His chance to get back aboard the ship he loved so much. He had some reservations, sure, after all he had just been through…after what Charlotte had been through, too. But would he really be able to turn it down; even though he faced a demotion? Even though he risked a forced separation from his best friend if she chose to remain behind?

"The truth" Pike replied; jolting the young man beside him out of his thoughts, and wetting his lips with his tongue as he went on "That I believe in you. _Both_ of you. And if _anybody_ deserves a second chance, it's you two."

"Really" Charlotte cut in; addressing her father with a mixture of reluctance, and intrigue "So everything you said. About me being weak…about Jim being too headstrong for his own good…"

"Charlotte, you know I take it all back" Pike said; reaching across Jim to grab his daughter's hand, finding himself surprised that she didn't pull away as he continued "So what do you say?"

Opening her mouth, Charlotte made to speak; only to find herself speechless as what her father was offering sank in. Shaking her head, she turned over her options in her head; biting her lip as she remained silent…stunned. She had walked away from it all…from Starfleet…from her father, after her mother died. Knowing full well that to resign meant that she may never be able to return; she had turned her back on everything she had once loved.

And now, here she was; being offered a free chance to take it all back. To return to her former post on the bridge of the Enterprise; no questions asked. And all because of her father. The man she had come to think of as wanting nothing more than to have her out of his hair. For once, Charlotte found herself at a loss for what to do…what to say. And so she remained silent as the chirping of her father's phone rang out over the music; her eyes flicking to Jim's face as her father briefly stepped away.

"Char?" Jim said; reaching over to grab his friend's hand as he continued speaking "C'mon, you know this is a hell of an opportunity."

"I know Jim. It's just…it's not as simple as walking back on board your ship and pretending like nothing ever happened."

Before Jim could try anything further to persuade his friend to take the offer her father had given her, though; Pike was returning, his brows furrowed together as he said:

"Emergency meeting at Daystrom."

The Admiral paused for a moment then, looking from Kirk, to Charlotte; his eyes remaining locked with his daughter's as he waited for some sign of her intentions. Fighting the urge to smile as he saw the tell-tale signs of resolve beginning to take hold in his daughter's eyes; he stood from his seat, nodding to the two young people he was leaving as he said:

"Suit up. I'll see you both there."

Watching her father disappear, Charlotte let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding; turning to face Jim as he leveled a significant look her way.

"So, you coming?"

Weighing her options, Charlotte paused; shaking her head at how her father had, once again, used his persuasive techniques against her as she hopped down from the barstool. Shrugging half-heartedly, she looked up at Jim; a faint smile toying with the corners of her mouth as she said:

"Doesn't really look like I have a choice; does it?"

…..

**Greetings my lovelies! Here we have another chapter in our tale! Originally I had planned on taking this all the way up through Khan's attack at Daystrom…but on second thought, I decided I wanted more time to put as much detail into that scene as possible; in addition to going a bit outside of the story and creating an actual funeral for Admiral Pike. That being said, I leave you with this next little tid-bit…and hope that I can hold your interest long enough for the next chapter when we can REALLY get into the action!**

**A huge thank you goes out to the whopping amount of you who have alerted or favorited this story so far! And many thanks (and hugs) to all of my reviewers! (Dasiygirl95, katisreallyjess580, cherylnixon, i-need-shine, mackenziejen, Lady Versie, and ForeverZelink). You guys are the best!**

**So that's about that for my rambling. But please don't hesitate to leave your thoughts on this chapter! And if anyone has any particular things they want to see, or have me go into more detail on…don't hesitate to let me know!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	3. World Shattered

Silence hung over the threesome in the hovercraft as it headed towards Daystrom; Admiral Pike doing his best to strike up conversation in an attempt to draw his daughter out of her forced silence as he inquired:

"So…Charlotte, what have you been up to lately?"

Eyes flicking to meet her father's in the rear view mirror, Charlotte tugged absently at the neck of her grey Starfleet fatigues; clearing her throat as if to test her ability to make a sound before replying:

"Oh, you know. The usual. Errands, cleaning…catching up with this oaf when I can" She said; kicking gently at the back of Jim's seat beside her father as she went on "Nothing too exciting."

"So I'm an oaf now?"

"An entertaining one" Charlotte amended; reaching forward to squeeze Jim's shoulder before leaning back in the seat and returning her attention to her father "I've been getting by alright, Dad; if that's what you're asking."

"Sweetheart, you know I never meant to…" Pike began; only to halt in mid-sentence as Charlotte interrupted him.

"Dad, c'mon; we can discuss this later."

Nodding once, Admiral Pike returned his focus to the road before him; driving them along in silence, and biting the inside of his cheek as he contemplated all that he wanted to say to his daughter. All that he wanted to make amends for. He knew, now, that his actions in the heat of the moment were the farthest from what she needed from him. But the fact that she seemed at least willing to consider talking it over after this meeting concluded was encouragement enough; and he permitted her to sink back into her absent staring out of the window as rain pattered against it, pulling them into the allotted space for their craft and stopping the vehicle accordingly as he said:

"Shall we?"

For his part, Jim practically bolted out of the car; holding the door open for Charlotte so that she could join him on the small docking station, and shutting her door behind her.

"Someone's eager" She joked; laughing softly at the bright glint in her friend's eyes that he was doing his best to hide "Come on. Let's get this show on the road, eh?"

"Sure thing" Jim replied; gesturing for Charlotte to fall into step beside him as they walked together towards the entrance of Daystrom. They didn't have a hell of a lot to go on regarding what had been important enough to bring them here in the first place…

But both of them were definitely intrigued enough to find out.

…

Leaning back in the chair she occupied at her father's side; Charlotte pursed her lips in thought, fingers gliding over the PADD on the table before her as her mind raced along at ninety miles a minute. A top Starfleet Commander named John Harrison had been the culprit that had forced her and Jim to follow her father here, in spite of all her misgivings…and now that she had more of a chance to look into the documentation on what had transpired at the archives…

Something wasn't adding up.

Admittedly, she might have been missing something obvious, here. But she was unable to determine why on earth the man would have set a bomb off in a public place, holding public records; when he could have just as easily walked in and asked for them without causing a scene. The fact that Harrison must have some ulterior motive was obvious. Admiral Marcus had said that the man had just declared a one man war against Starfleet.

But the question remained…_why_?

Tapping the screen in front of her so that Harrison's photo was available; Charlotte pinched the bridge of her nose as Marcus began directing his speech towards a mobilization for a manhunt, taking a moment to look at the man responsible for all of this chaos. His posture…the way he held himself at the scene, a bag of unknown contents in one hand, conveyed that he was certainly dedicated…determined. As for his physical characteristics, Charlotte found herself letting out a faint huff at the almost regal bearing he possessed; dark hair combed back neatly, and face almost pristine in its paleness. Piercing blue eyes looked up at her from yet another one of the pictures on the PADD's screen…eyes that held such a sheer force of will that they had Charlotte flicking her fingers against the screen once again to switch back to ordinary text detailing the man's attack on the archives as she forced herself back to Marcus' speech.

Meeting Spock's eyes from across the table as she looked up at the people seated around her, Charlotte spared him a smile; flinching as her father nudged at her foot from under the table just as Admiral Marcus was finishing.

"Let's get to work. The Earth's perimeter sensors have not detected any warp signatures; so we know he can't be far…"

Returning her attention to her PADD as Marcus continued his agenda; Charlotte skimmed over the very limited history the device contained regarding Harrison's origin, jumping yet again as she heard Jim whispering.

"What's in the bag?"

Charlotte's head snapped up to lock eyes with her friend then; understanding passing between them that they were both thinking the same thing…that there was something more to Harrison that they weren't seeing…only to turn her attention to her father as he intervened.

"James, not now…"

"Doesn't it seem odd to you that he targeted an archive like this?"

Before Charlotte or her father could say anything to either back Jim up, or shut him down, however; Admiral Marcus was addressing them, his tone almost…derisive…as he confronted the individuals who had interrupted his monologue.

"Chris…everything alright over there?" He asked; eyes skimming over Kirk with barely concealed distaste, and latching onto Charlotte as her father replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Kirk is just…acclimating to his new position as First Officer."

Eyes locked with Marcus, Charlotte offered him a tight smile; ducking her head down more so to keep herself from saying anything foolish than as a sign of respect as Marcus spoke once more.

"If you have something to say, Kirk; say it. Tomorrow's too late."

Jim spared an uneasy glance with Charlotte then; wetting his lips with his tongue and managing a nod at his friend's encouraging smile before he addressed the gathering as a whole.

"I'm fine, sir. My apologies."

Marcus was having none of his attempts at staying out of the center of attention, though; and he twiddled absently with the pen at his fingertips as he said "Spit it out, son. Don't be shy."

"It's just…" Jim began, taking a breath to steady himself before diving back in; more confident this time "Why the archives? All that information is public record. If…if he really wanted to damage Starfleet…this could just be the beginning."

"The beginning of what, Mr. Kirk?"

"Sir, in the event of an attack, protocol mandates that senior command gather captains and first officers at Starfleet HQ; right here…in this room."

"A trap…" Charlotte muttered under her breath; bringing her eyes up to meet Jim's for a moment, before standing from her seat and looking at those seated around the table "We need to clear the room."

"Commander Pike, you do realize you're acting under a suspicion? A mere facet of paranoia…" Marcus began; eyes flicking to Charlotte's father as he tried to drag her back to her seat "That we cannot say with certainty will come to pass?"

"I think we can say with certainty that _something_ will pass, Sir" Charlotte argued; looking around the room, and resting the pads of her fingers against the table for support as she tried to justify Jim's point…a point she wholeheartedly agreed with "You say Harrison was one of your top commanders. A force to be reckoned with. What's to say he hasn't planned something; knowing we would all gather here?"

Admiral Marcus opened his mouth to speak; his eyes clearly showing that he intended to shut Charlotte down with all the vehemence he possessed, the only thing stopping him from putting his goal into action being the low rumble that shook the very table they sat around as an eerie red light bathed the room. Charlotte hadn't realized that Jim, too, had risen from his seat as she was debating with Marcus…but the flicker of movement by the window soon caught her attention; her eyes widening as a shadowy craft appeared behind the place where her friend was standing.

"Clear the room!"

On instinct, Charlotte ducked down under the table at her friend's cry of warning; squeezing her eyes shut as glass exploded into the room, sliding along the tile of the floor and raining down around everyone, regardless of their position. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind as she remained on the ground for a moment; shock that this was actually happening paralyzing her, before she lurched into action, spurred on by how suddenly her mind had latched onto a single thought.

Jim had been standing by the window. Directly in the craft's line of fire.

She had to find him.

Without really thinking, Charlotte hauled herself up from behind the cover offered by the conference table; ducking down in an attempt to avoid the flying shots and debris flooding the room, and ignoring her father's restraining hand as she darted past him and made her way around towards the now shattered window. She had just managed to catch sight of Jim sprawled out on the ground a few feet away amongst the other bodies either sprawled out around him, or darting past; but before she could reach him, she was forced to throw herself behind the nearest pillar as enemy fire whizzed past her with a high pitched keen. Leaning her head back against the pillar in an attempt to recuperate from how her heart had seemed to lodge somewhere at the back of her throat; she breathed in slowly, steeling herself as she crouched low to the ground and half-ran, half-slid to Jim's location.

"Jim!" She hollered; her voice carrying over the sounds of the chaos around them as she latched a hand onto Jim's wrist upon reaching him "Jim, c'mon!"

Shaking his head to rid his ears of the ringing that had taken up residence; the First Officer turned slowly to look at his friend, noting how frantic her eyes were as she waited for some response from him before he finally hauled himself to his feet. Dragging her towards the hallway; he stooped part of the way there, grabbing onto a discarded gun and carrying it with him as he spoke.

"Get the fire hose."

"What?"

"I don't have time to explain, Char; just do it!"

Nodding, Charlotte darted towards the hallway; ducking down as missile fire soared every which way, and skidding to a stop as she reached the door. Sparing a single glance back, she caught a brief glimpse of Jim firing the weapon he had nabbed at the craft that was attacking them; before turning her attention back to the matter at hand, praying silently that they would all make it out of this as she hurried towards the fire hose housed in a glass case a few feet away. This had to be Harrison…it just had to be. His attack on the archives was devised so that he could target his true goal. Starfleet commanders.

And it looked a hell of a lot like he was winning.

Eyeing the case housing the hose, Charlotte cast her eyes around her to see if there was something nearby that she could use to break the glass; huffing in resignation as she ducked down when yet another blast echoed out into the hallway. Time was certainly not on her side…and so she stepped back a bit; casting aside the thought of using something other than her own body to break the glass, and taking a deep breath before lifting her leg up and kicking at the case. After a few kicks, the impact of her foot had the desired effect; and she tugged her sleeve down over her hand as she stuck it inside the shattered casing to grab the fire hose, tugging it with her as she ran back to the conference room.

It was chaos.

Debris and bodies were everywhere, littering the floor in no particular order; causing a wave of nausea to hit Charlotte hard as her eyes sought out her friend. While she had remained frozen, forced to come to terms with the horror surrounding her, Jim had appeared at her side; taking the hose from her hands and wrapping it tightly around the weapon he had grabbed, ignoring the look of confusion Charlotte threw him as he headed back towards the window. Following close behind, the young woman allowed curiosity to overwhelm her fear as her senses switched to auto-pilot.

As Jim launched the gun, and consequently the hose, out of the broken window; Charlotte found herself gasping in shock as what could only be described as a statistical miracle unfolded before her eyes. The gun and hose were sucked into the intake of the craft…the hose going taut between Jim's body and her own. Impossible under normal circumstances. But it was a reality here. A moment's pause ensued in which the two friends met each other's eyes; comprehension passing between them as Jim's hand instinctively darted out to grab Charlotte's shoulder and drag her down to the ground as the entire compartment that had contained the fire hose flew over their heads.

Looking up in time to see the jump ship suck the entirety of what remained of the hose and its container in towards the engine; Charlotte allowed Jim to drag her upright, the two of them watching as the ship was disabled before their eyes. The young woman soon found herself unconsciously taking a step towards the vessel then; ignoring Jim's hiss of warning as something other than the doomed ship caught her attention. The man inside.

_Harrison_.

As suspected, the man who had assaulted the archives was the one manning the jump ship…the familiar golden yellow rays of a beaming device surrounding him as his icy eyes locked with Charlotte's; sending a shiver rolling through her before he disappeared entirely. For her part, Charlotte remained locked in place; staring at the ship as it went down, and jumping nearly out of her skin as Jim's hand locked around her wrist.

"Char, we need to help the wounded…"

"Of…of course" She replied; shaking herself and trying to rid her mind of how the eyes of their attacker had literally seemed to burn through her before turning around to the melee around her just in time to see a fellow officer running towards them.

"Commanders…you need to follow me."

Raising an eyebrow at the almost frightened tone in the young man's voice; Charlotte and Jim followed as instructed, allowing the officer to lead them into an offshoot of the main conference room. It took a moment for the sight before them to sink in…but it wasn't long before a ragged cry escaped Charlotte's lips as she fell to her knees beside Spock. The Vulcan was cradling her father's head in his lap; his normally neutral expression twisted slightly as he addressed Charlotte.

"The Admiral…he is dead; Commander."

…..

Flinching as a stinging sensation threaded its way through the gash on her cheek; Charlotte opened her eyes, immediately casting them to the side as she met the warm brown gaze of Leonard McCoy. His eyes held nothing but pity…sorrow for his loss; and awareness of the even greater magnitude of her own. He had lost a respected Commander…a Captain. She had lost her father.

"Charlotte" He spoke up then, reaching out to turn her face so that she was forced to look at him "Charlotte, I cannot say how sorry…"

"Don't."

"Pardon?"

"Don't be sorry, Bones" Charlotte said, voice hollow as she once again averted her eyes; running the hand that wasn't connected to the IV through her hair as she went on "It…it just…"

She trailed off then, biting her lower lip as her eyes flicked over to where Jim was waiting to be treated himself, behind yet another curtain. Her father was dead. Gone. And the last thing she had done before going into the meeting with him was to shrug off his attempt at reconciliation. She had pushed him away just as he had her when her mother died. And now she would never get the chance to hear his reasoning…

She was never going to see him again. And after the initial wave of grief that had assaulted her upon seeing her father's body…after the coroner had taken him away, along with the rest of the dead…

She had gone utterly, and completely numb.

For his part, McCoy fell silent; knowing enough of grief to know that what Charlotte needed the most right now was time to think. Like her mother, when he had first met her; Charlotte was almost singlehandedly the most withdrawn person when she wanted to be. And McCoy knew better than to try and bring her out of her musings; knowing that to do so would only serve to push her away further.

Despite that knowledge, though, the doctor knew that there had to be something that he could do to ease what could only be described as tragedy. And he made a mental note to talk to Kirk as soon as he was done stitching Charlotte's scrapes.

If anyone would know what to do, it would be her best friend.

…

**Howdy there! I know I said I was going to go into Pike's funeral here. But I just found out that I have something else that needs tending to this afternoon. And in my rabid desire to update and keep you all entertained (plus in a desire to really put some work into that funeral, because I want it to be special); I decided to end here and update as is. Hopefully you can forgive me?**

**As always, many thank yous go out to those who have taken the time to read this! And hugs and cookies to my lovely reviewers (katisreallyjess580, Dasiygirl95, Eva Sirico, Jes Freedark, and Mackenziejen.) You guys are amazing!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	4. Secrets Unearthed

"Admiral Christopher Pike was a man whose very life defined what this organization set forth to defend" Marcus intoned; his eyes scanning the crowd of cadets and officers seated in orderly rows before him as he swallowed stiffly before going on "As we all know, his every breath was dedicated to Starfleet. To his family, here, amongst all of you. And it is to that end, that we put him to rest on this day; celebrating a tragic end to a life that we all held dear."

Pausing briefly, Marcus shuffled the papers at his fingertips; the rustle of tissues, and the hoarse sound of throats clearing rising to his ears as he risked a glance to his right. Pike's daughter, Charlotte, was seated a few feet away on the stage with Kirk at her side; both of them seeming dazed...lost in their own private worlds. Sparing one final glance at how the fingers of Charlotte's left hand were threaded with those of the headstrong young First Officer at her side; Marcus returned his attention to the crowd before him, clearing his throat and weathering on.

"Today, we remember a man who willingly put himself at risk time and time again to protect what we all hold most dear. His ship…his crew…and his family…were what held him together. And for that, we can be eternally grateful."

A strong breeze blew through the veranda then, rattling the flagpoles that bore Starfleet's signature insignia; and threatening to tear away the papers holding Admiral Marcus' speech to commemorate the life they had lost, forcing him to place both hands flat against the podium to keep order amongst his belongings. Truth be told, he would much rather be sequestered in his office with his top officials, plotting Harrison's demise for what he had done. But duty required him to be here. Regulation practically demanded it. So he adjusted his stance at the podium slowly; returning his gaze to the speech he had written.

"Christopher loved few things more than this organization…" He said; pausing for effect as he swiveled his gaze back to Charlotte "But perhaps what he loved the most…is this lovely young woman sitting beside me."

Raising her head to meet the Admiral's eyes, Charlotte somehow managed a nod of thanks; the hand that was held in Jim's shaking with something she could not fully comprehend. For him, she had done her best to put on a brave front; acting as though she was coping properly, when really, she knew she wasn't. Any sort of reaction…tears…anger…would have been normal. Expected, even. But this over-powering sense of…_nothing_…it scared her. She had heard her father talk about the very best of his crew succumbing to numbness upon a loss such as this.

And it never ended well.

Registering that Admiral Marcus was speaking again; Charlotte forced her gaze over to him, doing her best to ignore her melancholy thoughts as he managed a half smile for her benefit before turning his attention back to the crowd.

"He made me promise to look after her…a daunting task, to be sure" Marcus began; pausing while the crowd assembled before him shared in soft laughter "But that, my friends is a promise I intend to keep. Just as I intend to uphold that same promise that I made him to protect Starfleet…and to refuse rest, or any other comforts offered until the bastard responsible for this tragedy is brought to justice."

Applause started up then, muted at first; but growing in strength as one by one, the assembled members of Starfleet rose to give the Admiral a standing ovation. Out of desire to avoid attracting attention to herself, Charlotte rose simultaneously with the rest of the crowd; forcing her expression to remain appropriate for the situation…containing the proper mix of sadness and hope…as Marcus strode towards her amidst the cheers and applause, and pulled her into a strong embrace. He held her to him for a moment, his hold seeking to inspire comfort…safety…but failing in both; the way Charlotte stiffened in his arms forcing him to retreat. His arm stayed around her waist as the two separated, however; his eyes holding something Charlotte couldn't quite recognize as he gave one last wave of acknowledgment to the crowd before leaning towards her ear.

"Like to take a walk?"

Casting an uncertain glance towards Jim, Charlotte took in the uneasiness in her friend's eyes before turning back to face the Admiral as she spoke; her voice just barely maintaining composure.

"Sure…"

…..

"Sir, I don't know that I'm…that it's a wise idea for you to have me do this" Charlotte protested, trying and failing to master her shock at what Marcus was proposing as she stood from the seat he offered her in his office; striding over to the window overlooking the veranda where her father's funeral had just concluded "It doesn't make any sense."

"It makes _perfect_ sense, Charlotte!" Marcus exclaimed, leaning back in the chair behind his desk and watching the young woman carefully "The man murdered your father. To be a part of the mission that sought to bring him down…"

"A vengeance mission."

Shaking his head in frustration at her clear attempt to shut down his idea, Marcus walked over to stand behind Charlotte as he placed a hand on each of her shoulders and looked out the window, following her gaze.

"You are one of the best officers I've seen in a damned long while, Charlotte. Don't you want to…to bring that to light?"

"I'm not sure that I follow, sir" Charlotte replied, turning and shrugging out from underneath Marcus' presence; trying to ignore how her pulse was hammering as she registered the Admiral's hands twitch minutely. Something about this seemed off. Wrong. Gut instinct was hounding her to back away from this, at least until she had a shot at figuring out Marcus' intentions. But she was unable to sift through what could possibly be going on, given her current state…given how it was a chore just to remain alert enough to hear what Marcus was saying to her as he continued pushing his point.

"Christopher Pike's daughter, now a respected Admiral for Starfleet" He began; leaning against the window as he watched Charlotte staring at him in shock "Leader of the team that took down a murderer…a _monster_. That's a hell of a good mark to have on your record."

"I'm hardly leadership material…"

"Damn it, Charlotte it's time for you to stop living in Kirk's shadow! You need to step forward. To make Starfleet your own."

"Starfleet doesn't belong to just one person, Sir" Charlotte interjected, dragging a hand through her loose curls and letting out a huff before going on "What, exactly, are you suggesting I do?"

"I'm suggesting that you take some _incentive_! I'm working on authorizing a mission to hunt down the man who did this. The man who stole your father from you" Marcus said; his voice taut with much more emotion than Charlotte had ever seen him show before as he closed the distance between them and took both of her hands in his "The team who does this will be given full permission to carry out any act that is necessary to ensure that Harrison sees justice."

"Sir?"

"I'm sending a team to _kill_ him, Charlotte" Marcus clarified; looking Pike's daughter in the eye and holding her gaze as he finished, his tone dry "And I want you to be a part of it. I want _you_ to be the one to do it."

Blinking, Charlotte took a step back; her hands falling to her sides as she wet her lips with her tongue. A frightening sense of something akin to satisfaction had fled through her at the thought of being the one to end the life of her father's killer. Regardless of what Marcus claimed it might or might not do to spark the advancement of her career with Starfleet; she was unable to deny that a part of her wanted this…that, perhaps feeling Harrison's life end would be what she needed to jolt herself back to the world…to feeling again. But beyond all of that…beyond what agreeing to this could potentially do for her…

She still wasn't entirely convinced that she actually _could_ follow through. Beyond self-defense, she had never actually killed someone intentionally. So she had to wonder…

Could she take another life? Even one as twisted as Harrison's? Could she give into the darker part of human nature; forgetting everything her father had raised her to be?

"Give it some time" Marcus said; interrupting Charlotte's thoughts and causing her to jump as he walked back towards his desk, taking a seat and tenting his fingertips as he went on "Think it over. I trust you'll come to the right decision."

"Permission to exit, Sir?" Charlotte asked; left hand absently fiddling with the hem of her uniform sleeve as she flicked her gaze to Marcus', awaiting his reply. Uneasiness flooded her at how the Admiral's offer enticed her. At how easy it would be to just agree…and she found herself wrought with the desire to get away from this temptation; a desire conveyed in how her hands had begun to shake as Marcus finally replied to her request.

"Granted. And Charlotte?"

"Yes?" Pike's daughter replied; turning half way around to face Marcus as he finished his request.

"Send Kirk in here when you find him."

"Absolutely, Sir."

…

Flipping through what seemed like the hundredth file folder stowed away in her father's apartment; Charlotte cast the thing aside, rubbing her temples with her fingertips as she rose from her position crouched by the bookshelf. All of his research…all of his things, were _hers_ now. And despite how she had gone into this exercise believing that it would do her some good to break up the monotony of simply staying put in Jim's flat…how it might distract her from Marcus' offer; she found herself walking over to the door leading out onto the balcony, stepping out into the coolness of the night air and leaning up against the railing.

What on earth was she supposed to do with all of this? Keep it? Store it somewhere? Give it to Starfleet? Her father had left her no instruction…though really, how could he? It wasn't like he had planned to die when he did.

Snorting, Charlotte turned to look back inside the dimly lighted living room of the place her father had been calling 'home' since the divorce; her eyes roving over the assortment of boxes and manuals. Her father had been nothing if not a pack-rat…rather like his daughter…just one of the things that had driven the Admiral and his wife apart. It all seemed so shallow now. The reasons for the split…the reasons behind Charlotte's own recent estrangement from the man who had given her life…and she found herself blinking against a familiar stinging sensation that was assaulting her eyes as she jolted back to reality at the sound of her phone chirping insistently from the desk in her father's study.

Jogging back inside, Charlotte half ran, half walked through the living room and to her father's desk; coming to a stop just as her hand latched onto the now silent device. A sigh left her as she saw the name on the caller ID; and she pursed her lips for a moment as she saw the screen light up again when the phone began ringing anew.

Jim. He'd been checking in on her in half hour increments since the two had separated in order for her to take the trip to her father's apartment…and she found herself rolling her eyes as she picked up the call.

"I'm still alive, Jim. Pretty sure I will be in another half hour, too" She quipped; a faint smile taking over her features as her friend's answering chuckle reached her ears before he said:

"Kinda figured, Char. Listen, can you come down to HQ for a second?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, per se" Jim replied; a brief pause filled with the sound of someone talking excitedly in the background following, before he elaborated "Scotty found something in the wreckage of Harrison's ship. And I think you're gonna want to hear what he has to say."

Hesitating only a moment, Charlotte nudged a folder on the floor out of the way with her foot; catching the name scrawled on the side in her father's messy handwriting as she opened her mouth to speak. Tilting her head to the side, she shut her mouth in mid breath; something instinctive drawing her attention back to the folder at her feet as she bit at her lower lip. Stooping down so that she could read the name, she found her heart jumping into her throat; curiosity burning through her as she was finally able to make out the words on the dossier before her.

_Alexander Marcus; Mil. Query._

"Can you give me a few minutes, Jim?" She inquired then; forcing herself back to the conversation with her friend so that he wouldn't become suspicious, and picking the folder up to set it on the desk beside her "I…I think I've found something."

"Sure thing, Char. Don't take too long though, okay? This is important."

"Yeah, Jim; got it."

Hanging up the phone and tucking it in her back pocket; Charlotte opened the folder, shock bringing a gasp to her lips as she saw her father's scrawl on the top of the first page.

_Alexander Marcus. Starfleet. Concern for militant agenda; confirmation pending._

Furrowing her eyebrows, Charlotte walked around to the chair beside her father's desk; taking a seat and tugging the folder towards her. Bringing one hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear; she began reading in earnest, shock overwhelming her at what her father had compiled.

_Opportunity arose to note the Admiral conducting exclusive conferences without obligatory disclosure to the rest of the organization. Further research inconclusive. Record of obtainment of seventy-two long range torpedoes; purpose unknown. Torpedoes under the close observation of Marcus himself. _

_Reason to believe Admiral wishes ownership to remain a secret; as he has yet to mention his possession to Starfleet command. More research pending._

Flipping the page, Charlotte's eyes fell upon an impossibly detailed sketch of one such weapon; her breath quickening as she leaned in to look more closely. What her father had drawn was something that could only be described as a device intended for one purpose…destruction. It was massive, to say the least; a sheer giant in the field of weapons, and something that would be sure to leave no survivors in its wake. The fact that her father had suspected Marcus of desiring it was just as frightening as the potential reasoning for the device itself; and in an effort to keep herself from becoming lost in the implications of this information, Charlotte shut the folder reluctantly. Heaving a sigh, she forced herself to acknowledge that any further delay in responding to Jim's request would only cause her friend concern…possibly enough to warrant him asking questions. Questions she wasn't sure she could answer.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Charlotte took breath to steady herself, before she rose and took her father's investigation compilation with her; tucking the information safely in her bag, and scanning the apartment one final time before making her way to the door. Whatever her father had been suspecting…whatever he had found regarding Marcus' actions…she wasn't sure she was ready to let anyone else in it. At least not yet. What she did know, however…was that her father would have wanted her to continue looking into this. She could feel that, in her very bones. So, doing her best to suppress her eagerness to go further into depth about this new development; Charlotte forced herself to shut the door to her father's home behind her, making her way down the steps that would lead to her car, thoughts wandering every now and then to the research she had just unearthed as she drove towards her destination.

Whatever her father had gotten himself into…she wasn't about to just let it rest, dormant. She was far too much like the late Admiral for that.

…..

**Helooooo! Welcome to another chapter! I hope you like what you found!**

**I had originally intended on making the funeral for Admiral Pike a bit of a tearjerker…but the more I thought about it, the more I figured that Marcus might use the opportunity to make it more about him. To put himself up on a pedestal…especially given how he behaved later on in the movie. So I hope you liked what I did!**

**Next, I know I sort of deviated from the movie plot in the last little portion of the chapter. But the idea just hit me and wouldn't let go. So hopefully you enjoy that as well, and can forgive me for going a bit rogue (wink wink). As always I am VERY eager to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Up next…return to the Enterprise, and the beginnings of the mission to capture Harrison!**

**Lastly, many thanks are in order for my lovely reviewers (Dasiygirl95, mackenziejen, katisreallyjess580, and Jes Freedark)! Hope y'all keep enjoying this! And as a last request from my end, if you're at all interested in the movie Zero Dark Thirty, go check out my dear friend Dasiygirl95's story! It's called "Coming Home", Dan/Maya is the pairing, and it's just plain awesome!**

**That is all…until next time…**

**MJR **


	5. Beginning of the End

Perched on the chair outside Marcus' office; Charlotte drummed her fingers against her knees, equal parts of anxiety and eagerness warring for dominance as she waited for Kirk and Spock to return from their private session with the Admiral. The three of them had just left Scotty; who had been telling them how he had discovered a portable transwarp beaming device in the wreckage of Harrison's ship. A device that directed them straight to the terrorist's location.

Kronos. The one place they couldn't possibly go.

Of course Jim had wanted to seek permission to go after him; regardless of the threat of war that would be all too likely to occur, should they set foot on the Klingon homeworld. Running contrary to that line of thought, however; was the possibility that, if they just let it be, the Klingons would remove their problem for them. A strategy that would never require any Starfleet Officer risking their lives…or their ships. Something that, at least at the offset, was a better option all around.

Of course Marcus and Kirk had not seen it that way, however…and so Charlotte had silently slipped from the room while they were caught up in their discussions; her mind once again travelling back to the folder she had located within her father's apartment. A militant agenda…led by Admiral Alexander Marcus…from what little she had seen, this was the conclusion her father had come to. With reason, a part of her obviously didn't want to believe the man who had been like a second father to her would be capable of such a thing. Going against the very foundation of what Starfleet was set up to do…it was a serious move. But Charlotte also recalled the steel in Marcus' eyes as they were discussing what to do about Harrison's disappearance. And she couldn't help but wonder…

Could his hidden desire to lead a militarized Starfleet be why he had looked so utterly disgusted when she mentioned simply allowing the Klingons to deal with Harrison?

Before she was able to make any further theories about the matter, however; the door to Marcus' office opened, forcing her to stand from her seat as Jim and Spock entered the hallway. As always, the Vulcan's features were carefully composed; but Jim's…his eyes were bright with excitement, eagerness coming off of him in waves as he addressed Charlotte.

"He's ours. We have permission to go to Kronos."

Blinking in surprise, Charlotte looked from Spock, to her friend, and back to the Vulcan again; wetting her lips with her tongue before she replied.

"And you're sure this is a good idea? Knowing we could be starting a war?"

"The fugitive has chosen an uninhabited location to set up residence" Spock told her; his tone even as he elaborated "It is possible that we might obtain him without alerting anyone to our presence."

Flicking her gaze to Kirk, Charlotte shook her head slightly; taking a breath to steady her sudden apprehension as she spoke.

"Jim, you're sure?"

Kirk paused a moment, running a hand through his hair absently as he looked down at his friend; sparing his best attempt at a confident smile as he replied.

"Of course I'm sure. Let's go get this son of a bitch."

Making to follow the two men before her, Charlotte spared one last second to turn and look at the still-open door leading to Marcus' office; her heart lurching uneasily as she caught the significant look he leveled her way. Though he said nothing, she could sense his intentions easily; icy eyes boring into her as she turned to walk away.

She knew what he expected her to do.

…

Several hours later, after not-so-successfully talking Jim down from an argument with Scotty that had resulted in the Engineer's resignation; Charlotte heaved a grateful sigh to be back in her old room aboard the USS Enterprise once again. The warm red hue of the room, from curtains to bedclothes was a welcome change from the blinding white of the bridge and hallways; and she found herself sinking back into an armchair next to the table she would use to write up anything from trip summaries, to interrogation dossiers, closing her eyes as she acclimated to being back aboard her father's ship.

Bringing up a hand to rub at her temples, the young woman thought over everything that had happened since they had set out from Earth to return to the Enterprise…how the self-same seventy-two torpedoes mentioned in her father's folder on Marcus were now aboard the ship…and how they were now being directed to aim every single one at Harrison's location on Kronos. Coincidence?

She thought not.

Forcing her eyes open, Charlotte pushed herself out of the chair; crossing the room to fish through her belongings for the folder in question that contained her father's suspicions. She had a bit more time until they reached Kronos and needed her assistance for obtaining and questioning Harrison…

So what could it hurt if she did a bit more digging?

Closing her hand around the folder, Charlotte tugged it out of her bag; tucking an unruly strand of hair behind her ear as she made her way back towards the chair she had formerly occupied. Knee-first, she situated herself into a comfortable position beside the table; fingers scrolling absently over the pad to her right on the wall to adjust the lighting in her quarters. Once it was to her liking, she reached out a hand; flipping the folder to the page she had last perused as her teeth fell to worrying her lower lip almost of their own accord.

_Confronted Admiral regarding clandestine meetings. Was shrugged off. Conveniently given tasks to perform during regularly scheduled meeting of Officers. Will continue to investigate._

Charlotte paused then; shifting unconsciously in the chair to better align herself with her reading as the Enterprise shuddered slightly, a miniscule movement that caused her no alarm in spite of the sound of footsteps passing back and forth outside her quarters. Shaking her head as she registered someone cursing silently to themselves as they moved down the hall and away from her room; she returned to the task before her, flipping the page and gasping as an entirely unexpected image met her eyes.

The SS Botany Bay.

Leaning closer to the table, Charlotte pored over the seemingly random insert; her mind trying to work out how on earth something relevant to Augment history played into Marcus' reasoning for acquiring torpedoes to fire upon Kronos as she continued reading her father's untidy scrawl.

_Eugenics Wars cir. 1992-1996. _

But that was it. The page went blank after such a simple phrase; and Charlotte found herself huffing in frustration as she turned the page over, only to find nothing further to explain the sudden change in direction of her father's thoughts. The only other writing she could find amidst the pictures he had sketched of torpedoes, and what could only be images of some of the former super-race were a few words scratched in the bottom corner of the very last page of the folder.

_Confronted Marcus again regarding connections made. Shifting research to secure location. 23453. Reason to believe fam. not safe. Precautions taken._

"What precautions? And what's the number sequence for?" Charlotte breathed; getting up from the chair and beginning to pace the room as her mind tumbled forward in an attempt to piece together what she had just read. She could reason her way through Marcus growing agitated when confronted with what her father believed he was doing behind Starfleet's backing…but the sudden inclusion of information from a time long ago? The numbers? What did it all mean? It wasn't like her father to include useless knowledge in anything he did. So the Botany Bay had to have some part to play in this…the numbers had to stand for _something_.

But what was it?

Spinning around as a sudden thought struck her out of the blue, Charlotte hurried over to her PADD; lifting the device from where it rested on her bed and carrying it with her back to the table as she took a seat once again. Nudging the folder aside to make room, she set the device down on the table; swiping her fingers across it to turn it on, and hurriedly closing the windows containing information on Harrison, before locating the file she had created to hold her old notes from classes taken at the academy what seemed like ages before. Something about the inclusion of the Augments in her father's dossier had triggered the beginnings of a faint recollection…and if she could find more information that would give her answers, it would be in the notes she and McCoy had compiled together back when they were still students. Notes she remembered, with a laugh; that had been a prime component of how their current captain had passed his traditional examinations before progressing to the kobayashi maru.

Just as she was about to tap the file to open it, however; the Enterprise shuddered again, this time more prominently. Before she could stand to investigate the source of the mysterious feeling, her phone chirped insistently from inside her coat pocket where it rested on the peg by the door; and Charlotte hurried over to it, fishing it out of the coat and dragging it to her ear.

"Keptin Kirk says he needs you on ze bridge right away, Commander" Chekov's voice hollered on the other line; his accent making his hurried speech almost indecipherable as he went on "Somessing is wrong with ze warp core and…"

"Hold on, Chekov, slow down" Charlotte said; flipping the folder shut on the table and turning her PADD off as she tried to ascertain what it was he was trying to tell her "Start from the beginning."

A shuffling sound reached her ears as the phone changed hands; her heart hammering as Jim's voice filled in the silence.

"Char, you need to come to the bridge; now. We need to think of a plan B."

…

Fingers flicking over the keypad that would gain her entry to the bridge, Charlotte took a deep breath; noting the flurry of activity beyond the glass doors she stood behind before they opened with a soft hiss, and she stepped out into the melee. Her eyes scanned the room briefly until they landed on Jim; and she dodged a lieutenant making his way towards the corridor she had just entered from, sifting between the people rushing about to fix their current predicament as she raised her voice to be heard over the din.

"Jim! What is it?"

Kirk's head snapped up in an instant from his conversation with Uhura and Spock, and he flagged her over; waiting for her to reach his side before he explained.

"There's a coolant leak in the warp core."

"Coolant leak? But how did…"

"We don't know" He cut in; his voice tight…worried…as he went on "What we do know, is that we're twenty minutes out from Kronos. And we need to get to Harrison before he figures out we're here."

"So what do we do?" Charlotte asked, her eyes flicking from Kirk, to Spock and Nyota, and back to Jim as he answered.

"We take a landing party in, and demand his surrender. I've designated Sulu as acting Captain; and he'll take care of issuing a warning for our friend down there before we arrive" Jim began; his focus shifting entirely to Charlotte as he finished "He surrenders outright, or we blow him to hell. And if anything happens to us, you are responsible for getting my ship the hell out of here before the Klingons can gather their forces, got it?"

Blinking rapidly, Charlotte shook her head; reaching out to latch onto Jim's arm as he turned back to the others as she spoke.

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm going with you, Jim…"

"Like hell you are" Kirk argued; a restraining hand coming to rest on his friend's shoulder as he tried to deter her "I need you here, safe, for when we come back. _If _we come back."

"You brought me on this ship because I was the best you had at interrogation and defensive tactics; right?" The young woman interjected; desperation over not being left behind when they were so close to capturing her father's murderer clearly showing in her tone and posture. She couldn't be left behind. She _wouldn't_. What Admiral Marcus wanted aside, she had a part to play in this, too. And she'd be damned if she allowed her best friend to side line her; when he of all people should have understood her motives.

"I fail to see…"

Grabbing Jim's hand and gently removing it from her shoulder, effectively cutting him off; Charlotte shook her head firmly, glancing once at Uhura for support as she cemented her point.

"I'm here to do a job, _Captain_" She said; dropping her hand from Jim's and taking a step back "So let me do it."

A moment's pause ensued then, as Kirk watched his friend with a combination of shock and frustration; his desire to keep her out of the line of fire warring with his knowledge of how much getting Harrison meant to her. He knew that recent events would likely make her as liable to reckless moves as he was on a day to day basis. But he also knew that there would be no living with her if he permitted Uhura to go with him on similar grounds of insistence; but forced her to stay behind.

"Fine" He grumbled; shooting her a look of exasperation as he turned back to face the others "Change clothes and meet me in ten."

At Charlotte's questioning look upon being asked to discard the uniform; Jim offered her a reluctant grin as he clarified.

"We can't have anything identifying us as members of Starfleet. Unless of course you _want _to start an all-out war."

…..

**Hola! It would seem I can't go any more than a few days without cranking out a new chapter. So much so, that I've begun neglecting my other stories. I blame Khan. It's all his fault. Lol.**

**Anyway, I know this is a bit shorter as chapters go, but I wanted to allow myself some time to write out the whole Kronos/Klingon scenario. I of course plan to stick fairly closely to the movie. But I do want to add my own little twists here and there and I want to make sure I have enough time to give them my full attention. **

**That being said, I have seen the movie only once, so some scenes may be a bit more of my faint recollection of dialogue; coupled with stuff I just make up. Hopefully what I create isn't too far off the mark though…and feel free to let me know if I do end up goofing something up!**

**Lastly, I want to garner thoughts regarding what I'm doing with the notes Charlotte's father left her. I'm sure some of you know where I'm going…and I just wanted to check and see that this particular direction isn't going to ruffle any feathers. I'm not trying to completely kill canon…but I just wanted to give Charlotte a bit more of a purpose than simply following Kirk around, you know?**

**Anyway, I'll stop rambling at you now! Please feel free to leave any and all thoughts in a review! And thank you as always to everyone for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing (Dasiygirl95, katisreallyjess580, and i-need-shine)**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	6. Meeting Harrison

A sudden knock at her door startled Charlotte out of her unsuccessful attempts at coercing her curls into a bun; wringing a half-hearted groan of resignation from her lips as she settled for a simple ponytail and strode over to the door. Pulling it open, she stepped back to allow the woman outside in; shutting the door behind her as the woman spoke.

"Charlotte, you're sure you know what you're doing?"

"What do you mean, Carol?"

"I mean are you sure you can do this?" Admiral Marcus' daughter replied; taking a seat on the edge of Charlotte's bed, and watching as the young woman pulled on dark leather boots in preparation for her journey to Kronos "I know what my father wants you to do, but…"

"Carol I'm perfectly capable of taking a life."

"I know that, Charlotte. But are you sure you want to go against Jim in this? You know he's still put out with you for keeping my identity a secret."

"He'll get over it" Charlotte replied; her voice carrying an uncharacteristic edge that caused the blonde to flinch "Harrison doesn't…he doesn't _deserve_ a trial."

"No" Carol said; standing and walking over to grab Charlotte's wrist as she made for the door "But he isn't going to go down without a fight. I just want you to be careful."

"Always am."

Before Carol could say anything further, Charlotte's fingers had closed around the doorknob; pulling it open once again as she stepped out into the corridor beyond. Sparing one last glance at the interior of her quarters; Pike's daughter offered her friend a short nod, before turning and walking towards the bridge.

It was now or never.

…..

From her spot between Spock, and Kirk; Charlotte allowed herself to slip into auto-pilot, absently watching the scenery of Kronos as their vessel drew nearer. The place was desolate…dark ruins jutting out towards them like deadened fingers; just waiting to pull them into a trap. What was once certainly a great city was now demolished. A perfect hiding place, she supposed, for a man fleeing from justice.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte closed her eyes; beginning the process of steeling herself for what she was about to do. Jim had made it clear that they would be taking Harrison in to stand trial for his crimes. That they wouldn't use force unless absolutely necessary. But something in her itched to find some excuse to make the fugitive fight them. If he resisted, there could be no doubt that they would be forced to take him down.

Oh how she hoped he would.

"Captain, I am detecting a single life form in the Ketha province" Spock intoned; jarring Charlotte from her dark musings as he went on "Given the information provided by Mr. Scott, this is most likely John Harrison."

"_Gotcha_" Charlotte breathed, more to herself than anyone else as she snapped her eyes open and fixed them on Kronos through the window of their craft "_Just try and run._"

"Alright, Mr. Sulu; I think we have our man" Jim spoke up then; adjusting the direction of their vessel so that it aimed straight for the Klingon homeworld, and throwing Charlotte a quizzical look as he went on "Let him know we mean business."

As Sulu's voice rang out through their comms, and the atmosphere of Kronos; Charlotte's hands clenched slightly on the arms of the chair she occupied, knuckles turning white as they continued flying towards their destination. Sulu was offering the pre-planned opportunity to surrender. Detailing exactly what stood to happen, should Harrison refuse.

She just hoped that she got to him before the damned torpedoes did.

Her face must have shown something of her resolve in that moment; because as soon as she had uttered the thought in her mind, she felt Jim's hand on her arm, dragging her back to the present once more as he said:

"You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay" She replied, perhaps too soon; catching the look of concern in her friend's eyes as she amended "Just fly the vessel properly so we don't crash; alright?"

Before the Captain could issue a response, however; Spock was speaking again, his tone slightly strained as he said:

"We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes; Captain. It is unlikely that he will come willingly. I have calculated the odds of him attempting to kill us at 91.6%."

"Always so encouraging, Mr. Spock" Charlotte quipped; throwing the Vulcan a faint smile before continuing "I do so love hearing how likely I am to die."

"Well it's a good thing some of us don't _care_ about dying."

All thought of playful teasing came to a grinding halt then; Charlotte's eyes flicking to Uhura as she tried to divert what was clearly an impending quarrel. Of course she sided completely with Uhura on the issue of Spock being required to take more consideration on how his death would impact others. But now wasn't the time for such discussion. Not when they were supposed to be on a man-hunt.

"Nyota…" She began; trailing off as the communications expert threw her a strange look that seemed to be asking her to let her finish her thoughts as she spoke again.

"Would it change your thoughts on life and death at all if you knew that Kirk is upset with your actions, too?"

"Hey, let's leave me out of this…" Jim protested; stopping short as Spock attempted to defend his actions.

"Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite" The Vulcan interrupted; throwing Charlotte a pleading look, as though he expected her to come to his aid. Holding up her hands to signal that she had no desire to do so given their current situation; she made to reply in that vein, only to find herself thrown back in her seat, her head smacking against the headrest as their craft gave a sudden jolt.

"What the hell was that?" Jim yelled; eyes roving over the controls at his fingertips as he attempted to figure out the source of their sudden shuddering.

"We are being pursued by a D4 class Klingon vessel" Spock supplied; back to business in a flash with his fingers already moving at the panels before him as he attempted to stabilize the craft.

"I thought you said this region was unoccupied…"

"It must be a random patrol" Uhura cut in; sparing a glance for the Captain before returning her attention to the task at hand "We just lost contact with the Enterprise."

"Perfect" Charlotte muttered; bracing herself as Jim took the ship on a hard left as Spock spoke again.

"This ship has no offensive capabilities…"

"It's got us" Jim retorted; looking ahead of them and taking note of the narrow crack between two ruins that they were speeding towards "We can lose them there."

"You're not serious!"

"I don't see any other way, Charlotte."

"If you are suggesting we utilize the passage between the two structures; we will not fit" Spock admonished; dark eyes trained on Jim as he silently prayed for the man to take a different course.

"We'll fit" Kirk insisted; forcing the craft to flip sideways as they neared the two looming buildings.

"Jim, this is crazy; there's no way we're…"

"We'll fit! We'll fit!"

Snapping her mouth shut, Charlotte gripped her chair once again; squeezing her eyes tightly together as she prepared for certain impact. Spock was right. There was no way they were going to make it through such a narrow space…

But they did. Somehow, aside from bumping between the two structures like an oversized ping pong ball; they made it through unscathed, shooting through the crack to the other side of the structures and exhaling a breath of relief simultaneously.

"Told you we'd fit" Jim said; something about the cheekiness in his tone causing Charlotte to let out a weak laugh before Spock retorted:

"I am not sure that qualifies."

"Well we lost them" Kirk responded; a confident smile taking over his features as he looked to Uhura as she spoke.

"Or they're jamming our scanners…"

"Or we lost them…"

Charlotte was prepared to offer the communications expert her support in an effort to tame Jim's seemingly endless confidence; but just as she was beginning to speak, a blinding light filtered in through the windows of their craft, the rumbling of Klingon vessels surrounding them as a harsh, guttural voice reached their ears. Unable to understand the speech, Charlotte resorted to listening carefully as the choppy syllables continued to echo around them; her eyes flicking from Jim's face, to Uhura's as the dark haired woman translated.

"They're ordering us to land. Captain, they're going to want to know why we're here. They're going to torture us…question us…and kill us."

"So what, we make them think we're here exploring?"

"Even if we go out there peacefully, Jim; they'll just kill us all anyway" Charlotte spoke up; unbuckling her seatbelt and standing as her friend did the same "They don't relish intruders, no matter what the reason."

"Then we go out fighting" Kirk replied; making to grab the phasers stored nearby as Uhura cut in, walking over towards her captain and Charlotte as she interjected:

"We're outnumbered. Outgunned. There's no way we'll survive if we attack first."

"Then what do we do?" Jim asked; his voice showing a modicum of uncertainty for a fraction of a second as he looked around at the members of his landing party. He knew the Klingons surrounding them weren't about to give them very much time to make their decision…but _could _he make such a choice; knowing that either way, their probability of survival was shoddy, at best?

"You brought me here because I can speak Klingon" Uhura said then; cutting into the Captain's thoughts as she strove to make her obvious fear not show on her face "Let me speak it."

A brief pause ensued while Jim considered her offer…a pause during which Charlotte couldn't help but catch the look of something akin to great fear in Spock's eyes as he watched Uhura intently. It was obvious that he did not approve of her going through with this. But what other choice did they have, really? This was their only shot.

"Go" Jim said then; ushering Uhura to what would become the door of the vessel as he made to land. The firm set of his jaw spoke volumes regarding his distaste for putting this task to someone other than himself. But the look he shared with Spock held only desperate hope as the ship touched down and Uhura made to exit.

Charlotte watched, holding her breath, as the communications expert made her way down the ramp and onto Klingon soil; jumping slightly as she felt Jim tap her shoulder, and turning just in time to see him extending a phaser her way. Taking the weapon and checking to make sure it was ready for use, should she need it; she spared the Captain a curt nod, before returning her focus to the events outside their craft.

Uhura had reached the grouping of Klingons that had departed their own vessel; her voice ringing out above the drone of the enemy ships as she spoke to them in their native tongue. The Klingon who seemed to be the leader stepped forward then; removing his helmet and moving to tower over Nyota as she continued speaking, her voice never belying her fear. Charlotte had to wonder how she did it, as she stood there watching…her heart was hammering just from doing that simple task. She could only imagine what it would feel like to be in the thick of it all.

A flicker of movement soon caught her attention; breaking her musings and causing her to bite back a gasp as she watched the lead Klingon reach down to grasp Uhura's face in one hand, lifting her slightly from the ground as he drew a jagged blade from his boot. Without pausing to think, Charlotte darted out of the craft; a grim feeling of satisfaction flooding her as the Klingon holding her crewmate paused for a millisecond to look her way. She could sense that Kirk and Spock were right on her heels…but she barely spared them a passing glance as they fanned out on either side of her; her arms lifting the phaser towards the Klingon threatening Uhura as she prepared to fire.

Before she could tighten her finger on the trigger, though; the Klingon dropped to the ground, phaser fire ringing out from opposite where Charlotte stood. She just had time to catch a glimpse of a figure, hooded and cloaked, standing atop one of the ruins a few feet away; before she was forced back to the present, ducking just in time to miss the knife another one of the Klingons hurled her way. Forcing the shock she felt at the presence of the newcomer aside; she dodged forward as yet another Klingon charged her way, delivering a kick to his abdomen as he ran towards her, and shooting her phaser at his chest as he doubled backwards. Barely waiting for him to fall to the side, she looked around her; a brief flare of panic welling up as she realized she had lost sight of her three companions…but she quickly shoved that panic aside as a wild yell reached her ears.

Spinning around to face the source of the commotion; Charlotte blinked in surprise as she took note of two Klingons racing towards her, instinct taking precedence over her fear as she fired two shots before ducking behind the nearest obstacle in their path. As intended, one of the creatures dropped to the ground; but her second shot went wide, its intended target soon staggering to a stop before her as an unidentifiable object flew from his hands. Ducking out of the way yet again, she let out a hiss as whatever the device was cut into the skin of her cheek; her hand instinctively coming up to cover the wound for a moment before she hauled herself to her feet. Bringing her phaser up, chest-level, with the Klingon in front of her; Charlotte prepared to shoot, only to find herself yelping as the monster lurched forward and grabbed her wrist, twisting it so that she was forced to drop the weapon to her feet.

As the phaser clattered to the ground, Charlotte spun so that her back was to the Klingon who still maintained his hold on her; slamming her foot down on his boot and backtracking quickly when the impact forced him to loosen his hold. Instinct told her she needed to relocate her weapon, and fast; but before she could make any attempts in that direction, more phaser fire erupted from behind her, narrowly missing her shoulder and flying into the Klingon instead. Sparing a moment to make sure the creature was truly dead, Charlotte whirled around; fully expecting to see Kirk or Spock behind her. Much to her shock, though, it was not one of her shipmates that had come to her aid…and she found herself staggering backwards as the same cloaked figure from before approached her slowly, his weapon still pointed in her direction.

Backtracking quickly, Charlotte held her hands up instinctively as the man continued to approach her; air leaving her lungs in a rush as her legs tangled with those of the dead Klingon at her feet and sent her tumbling to the ground with a thud. The man reached up slowly then; yanking the cloth that had covered his face away, and watching Charlotte curiously for a moment, his expression unreadable. Recognition dawned on the young woman's face in an instant…and she fought against the paralysis that threatened to take hold as a single name resonated in her mind.

_Harrison._

Before she could move, he had shifted one of his weapons slightly so that it pointed directly above her head; but Charlotte barely considered the thought that he was likely aiming at the heavy footsteps approaching her from behind, instead latching onto her phaser that she had just located at her side and launching herself to her feet. Her leg swung out almost of its own accord then; kicking at Harrison's wrist and sending the weapon he held sailing a few feet away, before she whirled around and fired three shots at one of the Klingons that had attempted to surprise them. She was prepared to do the same to his compatriot who had followed behind him; but she found herself unable to follow through as an arm looped around her waist, yanking her backwards into a sturdy frame as Harrison's other arm extended past her face and took aim with his second weapon. A part of her sensed that he was about to yank her behind him, to fight the Klingon singlehandedly; perhaps saving her death for last…something that she refused to allow.

Deciding she would use the momentum of him grabbing her to her advantage, Charlotte swung both feet up suddenly; kicking them outward and ramming the charging Klingon in the chest. She felt Harrison stagger backwards slightly at the unexpected shift in how her weight was situated against him; stifling a faint smile as he loosened his hold on her just enough for her to wriggle away while he finished off the remaining Klingon with a kick to the chest, followed by a blow to the temple.

Once the creature had fallen to the ground, dead; Charlotte sidestepped before the body, aiming her phaser directly at Harrison's chest, right over his heart, as she blocked him from taking the path that would lead back out to the rest of the fighting…to her crew. Eyes narrowed in disgust at how he watched her with something akin to amusement in his pale blue eyes; she steadied her weapon with both hands, lacing her voice with as much venom as she could muster as she addressed him.

"Weapon on the ground. Now."

"Now now, Commander; is that any way to talk to the man who saved your life?" He retorted; his voice low…surprisingly smooth, for one who had just been fighting as hard as she had. The way his words seemed to almost curl around her body in a haunting version of a caress set her teeth on edge…and she found herself taking a step closer to the man who was responsible for her father's death; her eyes cold as she responded.

"You killed my father. I owe you _nothing._"

Harrison tilted his head to the side then, his eyes boring into Charlotte with intrigue as the sound of footsteps, lighter this time, reached her ears. Never taking her eyes off of the man before her, the young woman felt an overwhelming sense of relief as Jim's hand came to rest on her shoulder; his voice urgent as he spoke.

"Okay, Char. Stand down."

Shaking her head minutely, Charlotte shifted her stance just a bit; phaser still trained on Harrison as though her life depended on it as she felt Kirk's grip tighten slightly.

"Charlotte. We have him. _Stand down._"

Rolling her shoulder to shake off her friend's restraining hand; she shook her head again, her hands shaking slightly as they remained in front of her. The way Harrison was looking at her…as though daring her to strike…was almost as unsettling as his voice; and she ground her teeth together as she attempted to steady her resolve; finger twitching slightly on the trigger as Jim made to grab her arm.

"Charlotte step away. That's an order!"

Eyes locking with Harrison's once again, Charlotte took a deep breath; letting it out in a hiss as thoughts of her father rose, unbidden, to her mind. Almost as though he were right beside her, she could hear his voice telling her…_begging _her…not to do this. A part of her knew that he wouldn't want to see her becoming a killer. All the dedication he put into teaching her everything he held most dear…it wouldn't allow such a thing. And she knew…she knew then, that she couldn't take Harrison's life, no matter how much she may want to. And no matter how she disagreed with their orders to take the man in for questioning; she permitted herself a low snort of derision as she lowered her weapon and turned away.

Jim's hand rose to squeeze her shoulder once again as a way of thanks; but he soon found himself staggering backwards as Charlotte doubled back, fist snapping out before anyone could stop it, and arcing up to collide with Harrison's cheekbone. A brief flash of awe and irritation flowed through her as she took in how he merely absorbed the blow without seeming to react at all; before she registered that the cracking sound made when her fist connected with his face had come from _her_. Looking down at her hand, Charlotte staggered backwards, pain roaring to life from her wrist; amazement that it was already starting to bruise and swell striking her as she clutched at it almost on instinct. Barely aware of Jim gently tugging her body behind his own; a small whimper escaped against her will as she forced herself to listen as Harrison spoke up once more.

"How many torpedoes?" He demanded; leveling his weapon at Kirk's chest and ignoring how everyone surrounding the Captain tensed visibly as he awaited a reply. Catching Spock raising his own weapon to defend Kirk; Harrison reacted in an instant, shooting the weapon out of the stunned Vulcan's hands as he repeated his request.

"The torpedoes! The ones you threatened me with in your message. How many are there?"

Flinching underneath the pale blue gaze that had once again locked itself with hers; Charlotte cradled her hand against her chest, trying and failing to discern why on earth the torpedoes were so seemingly important to their fugitive. It didn't make any sense…what did it matter how many were aimed at them at this very instant? Even one of them would kill.

Before she could voice that opinion, however; Spock was intervening; shooting her a warning look as he replied.

"Seventy-two."

The fugitive stiffened then; every part of his body freezing as though preparing for the impact of a powerful blow. It wasn't long before he was casting his remaining weapon aside; and Charlotte found herself biting back shock as he maintained eye contact with her and said simply:

"I surrender."

…

**See what I mean? I can't put this stinking story down! I'm going to have to ground myself from anything related to Star Trek or something. I mean…an author can't just abandon her other stories and write obsessively for one, right? Hehe.**

**So here we have it! Charlotte met Khan! Though to her, he isn't *technically* Khan yet…all in due time. I'm quite anxious to hear what you think. I know they didn't truly interact all *that* much…again, all in due time!**

**As always I welcome all thoughts on this chapter as a whole, or specific portions! Many thanks to everyone that has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed (katisreallyjess580, Dasiygirl95, Eva Sirico, Sam0728, and CynthiaSylar). Love you all!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	7. Wearing Down

Back aboard the Enterprise, Charlotte found herself fighting to keep her racing thoughts in check as she followed along silently behind Jim and Spock as they made their way towards the bridge. For his part, her friend had remained eerily silent after landing several blows to Harrison of his own back on Kronos…and it was for that reason that she flinched as he suddenly stopped midway down the corridor; whirling around to face her as he spoke.

"What were you _thinking_, Charlotte?"

"Pardon?"

"Don't play that with me; you know exactly what I'm talking about!" Jim hissed; dragging a hand through his hair and fixing her with a look that had her taking an uncertain step backwards "I can't have you playing vigilante like that!"

"Vig…Jim, I wasn't…"

"Captain, perhaps it would be more prudent to finish this discussion elsewhere" Spock interjected; ignoring the dark look Jim shot his way as he held out a hand to stall the Captain's retort. The Vulcan felt Charlotte move to brush past him shortly thereafter; but before he could attempt to stall the argument that was so obviously brewing beneath the surface, Jim was grabbing her uninjured arm, stopping her in mid-motion as he said:

"You should go get that wrist checked out. We can talk later."

The young woman almost protested, out of a desire to defend her actions; but something about the way her friend was looking at her, as though afraid she might fall apart in an instant halted her words. Offering him a curt nod, she turned to head down the corridor on their right that would lead towards Med Bay; only to find herself stopping once again as Spock spoke up.

"Dr. McCoy will be with the prisoner; Commander."

Freezing in place, Charlotte turned back to look the Vulcan in the eye; one eyebrow raised as she forced herself to remain calm. She was almost ready to inquire if perhaps she shouldn't wait until Bones was finished tending to Harrison before going to see him herself; but before the words left her mouth, Jim had turned back to face her, his eyes slightly less strained than they had been seconds earlier as he said:

"Go, Charlotte. But try not to do anything…rash?"

Smiling faintly at his attempt at a joke, Charlotte nodded; making to head towards the prisoner's location as she retorted:

"I'm not making any promises…"

…

Rounding the corner to stand directly across from the locked cell that held Harrison; Charlotte paused for a fraction of a second, conflict tugging at her as she took in the sight of Bones sticking a rather large needle into Harrison's arm through a hole in the glass. A part of her wanted nothing more than to turn back; leaving her injury for later. But the other part itched to confront the man behind the glass again; and so she stepped forward, walking quickly so that she stood beside Bones as he turned to face the noise of her approach.

"Kirk send you down here to babysit…" He began; his aggravation at the task he had been assigned showing clearly as he trailed off, flicking his eyes from Charlotte's wrist to her face as he switched directions "What in God's name happened to you? That thing is _huge_!"

Looking down at her wrist, Charlotte grimaced; moving her hand to cover the swelling a bit as she spared one look at Harrison before she replied:

"It isn't _that_ bad; Bones."

"Like hell it isn't!" He exclaimed; withdrawing the needle from Harrison's arm, and eyeing the contents of the syringe…blood…as he continued grumbling "Every time you venture out with our dear _Captain_, you end up taking a hit. I should probably set up a private business, just caring for your injuries. Kirk's too…"

"Bones…"

"Don't 'Bones' me, damn it! You two are too reckless for your own good!"

"Bones…"

"What!"

"I just need you to take a look at my wrist" Charlotte said; trying to ignore the faint grin of amusement on Harrison's face as he listened to her exchange with the doctor. Somewhere in the time since they had returned to the Enterprise, he had changed into one of the black, standard issue Starfleet uniforms; his dark hair no longer hanging over one eye as he watched her relentlessly. The way his eyes remained locked on her as she waited for Bones to finish up was enough to almost persuade her to recoil backwards…almost…but she held her ground; leveling one scathing look his way as she stepped back to permit Bones room to move.

His hands were gentle as they lifted the swollen appendage so that he could get a better look; and Charlotte resisted the urge to flinch as he probed the joint with a finger, biting her lower lip as he spoke.

"How did this happen?"

"Is that really important?" Charlotte inquired; sparing a fleeting glance for their prisoner before returning her attention to the doctor as he flipped her wrist over and replied.

"Actually, Charlotte, it is."

"Come now, Commander; _do _tell the good doctor how you injured yourself" Harrison spoke up then; a faint grin stealing over his features as he leveled a significant look towards Charlotte. For her part, the young woman made as though she would like nothing more than to reply…but before she could; McCoy had tugged her so that she stood behind him as he approached the glass of the brig.

"Why don't you just stay out of it?" He demanded; glaring at the fugitive for good measure before returning his focus to Charlotte as he shifted the direction of the conversation "Let's take this little pow-wow to the Med Bay. Get some ice on that wrist of yours."

"Fine by me, Bones" Charlotte replied; reaching her uninjured hand up to tuck a curl behind her ear as she made to follow the doctor, shivering as she felt Harrison's eyes watching her until they disappeared around the corner of the corridor. His very presence made her uneasy…as though he could see right through her without even trying. But she forced that thought to the side as she followed Bones down another corridor towards Med Bay; a faint smile tweaking at the corner of her mouth as he asked:

"So really. How _did _you do this to yourself?"

Letting out a laugh, Charlotte stood to the side as the doctor opened the door leading in to the room he spent most of his time in while on board the Enterprise; following him through as she replied.

"I punched him."

"Oh" Bones replied; surprise etched onto his features for a moment before he recovered, and finished:

"Good for you."

…

After allowing Bones the necessary time to patch her up, Charlotte made her way back to the bridge; unable to hold back apprehension as she absently fingered the wrapping around her wrist. She was well aware that her close encounter with disregarding her Captain's orders had been unjustified. She knew that there was really no way that she would get out of answering for those actions. Actions that she was painfully aware that she would do over again, should the opportunity arise. But of course she couldn't tell Kirk that. It was probably bad enough that she had done what she had already.

Punching in the key-code to get on the bridge with a sigh; Charlotte stepped through the doors, catching the look of understanding directed her way from Uhura, before she stepped over to the Captain's chair.

"Is now a good time to talk?"

"Yeah, Char; just give me a second" Jim replied; standing from the chair and walking over to Spock, the two of them exchanging muted conversation for a moment before he returned to her side, gesturing for her to follow him away from the bridge and to a more private location. She followed him silently; stepping into the dark side room neighboring the bridge as he flicked on the dim lights, her eyes roving around the room out of habit as he walked back over to shut the door behind them. Turning to face her then, his eyes were clearly conflicted…and she opened her mouth to speak in an effort to head off any struggle on his part, only to find herself remaining silent as he said:

"You can't do that to me again; Char."

Dropping her gaze to the floor, Charlotte ran her hand over the embossed backing of a chair near where she stood for a moment; taking a deep breath before she replied:

"I know, Jim. I shouldn't have defied you like that."

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Kirk exclaimed; startling the young woman with the vehemence in his tone as he elaborated upon seeing her confused expression "I'm talking about how you tried to take him on alone. How if we hadn't taken care of the Klingons attacking us when we did…"

"Jim, I was fine. I…is that what all this is about?" Charlotte asked; shock coloring her voice as she leaned against the chair beside her "You aren't at all bothered that I almost went against your orders?"

"Well, there's that; too" Kirk replied; rolling his eyes at the utterly flabbergasted look his friend was throwing him as he went on "But I'm used to _that_. What I'm _not_ used to, is you acting…acting like…_me._"

For her part, Charlotte merely stared at him; still trying to piece together the reasons behind his tense silence as they boarded the Enterprise after taking Harrison…trying to adjust her thoughts in order to acknowledge that his anger came from worry over her safety, and not just a simple act of breaking rules. Using her silence to his advantage, Jim joined her by the chair; grabbing one of her hands as he spoke, less urgently this time.

"I almost had a damn heart attack when I saw him aiming that weapon at you, Char" He said; squeezing her hand lightly before going on "And if I'm going to actually be stupid enough to allow you in there with him for interrogation…I need to know you aren't going to be reckless anymore."

Looking up at him, Charlotte nodded; her eyes flicking back down to their hands where they were touching on the chair as she said:

"I'll keep a clear head, Jim; I promise. It's just…seeing him there…it reminded me of…"

"Of your dad."

Charlotte clamped her eyes shut for a moment then; fighting back the same stinging sensation that had plagued her at her father's funeral as she nodded in the affirmative. She wasn't done with Harrison. Not by a long shot. But she knew that Jim was not about to let her near the man until he thought she could control herself. Until he thought she wouldn't do anything stupid.

Shaking herself out of her musings, the young woman straightened; gently tugging her hand away from Jim's as she looked her friend in the eye.

"Jim, I've got this. You have to believe that."

After a pause, the Captain nodded his reluctant agreement; moving to open the door back out into the corridor as he said:

"Fine. But any more stunts like what you did on Kronos…"

"And I'm done. Got it."

…

Pausing in the hallway just adjacent to the brig, Charlotte leaned back against the wall; closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath, allowing her muscles to relax as she attempted to prepare herself for this task. A task that she was torn between wanting, and loathing. Interrogation was her job, of course. Innate curiosity and tenaciousness had made her a prime candidate for the post she now held. But that didn't stop her from feeling a fleeting sense of anxiety as she contemplated her newest subject.

She had interrogated criminals before. Men, and women who had done horrible things. But never before had she faced someone who had taken the life of a person she loved.

Until now.

Forcing herself to straighten from her slouched position against the wall; Charlotte attempted to strengthen her resolve, knowing that if she were to have any luck with Harrison at all, she would need to be alert. On her toes, at all times.

She could afford no distractions.

Coercing her face into as neutral an expression as she could manage; she rounded the corner and walked towards the brig, swallowing a jolt of nerves as she slowly approached the ensign standing beside the glass.

"I need access to the prisoner; for questioning."

"Commander, I am not sure…" The ensign began, cutting off as Charlotte interrupted him, saying:

"I'm under direct orders from Captain Kirk. Probably not something you want to waylay."

"Of course, Commander; I apologize."

"Not at all" Charlotte replied; managing a smile at the young man, who was clearly less than thrilled about being assigned to guard Harrison's cell. He wasted no time in pressing the buttons beside the glass, stepping to the side as the fugitive's eyes snapped up in time to see the glass sliding to the side just a bit; creating just enough room for Charlotte to step through before it was closed once more. For his part, the ensign went back to his post; occasionally casting glances inside the cell to make sure Charlotte was actually alright…but the young woman's focus was soon riveted on the man she had come to question as he spoke, his tone just as low…as tranquilizing…as before.

"Commander Charlotte Pike" He began; allowing her name to curl over his tongue with an untoward familiarity as he watched her with an intensity she had never before experienced "Expert of interrogations, and defensive tactics. What could one such as yourself possibly want with me?"

Doing her best to avoid letting her uneasiness at how much he seemed to know about her already show; Charlotte allowed her eyes to wander around the room casually for a moment, as though memorizing every detail instead of focusing on the _real _object of her attention before she deemed it fit to respond.

"Judging from my title, I'm honestly surprised you haven't already guessed."

A wry smirk twitched at Harrison's lips at her reply; his body shifting slightly to gain a better vantage point from which to observe his new guest as he paused for a moment, allowing his eyes to drink her in. She was small, for a Starfleet officer…where Kirk and the Vulcan had possessed raw brawn and force of will; this woman before him bore her attributes in an altogether different way. From what little he had seen of her in action, he knew she was a fighter; in spite of her small stature…but to someone like him, she was far too breakable…a fact that was all too evident as he watched her fingers absently drumming against her thigh as she waited for him to acknowledge her statement. Ultra-observant, he could see by the glint to her eyes that she held no love for being here, now, with _him_…but he could also see that a part of her was eager to discover the reasoning behind his actions…the reasoning behind her father's death.

Something he could exploit; he was certain.

Eyes narrowed as he watched her body tense while awaiting his reply; the fugitive opted for diverting the conversation to another direction entirely, tamping down his amusement at how unnerved the young woman before him was as he spoke.

"How is your wrist?"

Blinking, Charlotte found herself doubling back; a hiss of something in between frustration and amusement escaping her as she flicked her gaze to meet the icy blue of Harrison's. He was _toying_ with her. She could see that clearly, both from the meaningless question about her wrist; and in the way his eyes almost seemed to glow as he waited for her to answer. As he waited for her to permit him to get her off track. In an effort to prevent just such a thing, Charlotte found herself shifting her posture slightly so that she was facing him directly; allowing just the faintest hint of derision to enter her tone as she responded.

"We both know you don't give a damn about that, _John_" She began; using his first name in an effort to show that she held no esteem for him whatsoever as she continued "So let's just get one thing straight. I am here to question you. You can answer me…or you can remain silent. I don't really care. But if you aren't answering a direct question; you can just keep your mouth shut, got it?"

The man before her clicked his tongue at her then; anger piercing her at how the gesture reminded her of being scolded as a child…but she held her tongue, opting not to give him the reaction he wanted as he addressed her once again.

"So the good Admiral's daughter makes an ultimatum" He drawled; never once shifting from his near-perfect posture even though his eyes were intent upon following her as she moved "You are hardly in the position to _bargain_; Miss Pike."

"Am I not?"

"I shouldn't think so, no."

"Do explain" Charlotte ordered; irritation at how he seemed bound and determined to goad her into releasing the turmoil she felt rising to the surface as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for his answer. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she did her best to avoid flinching as he stood from his seat; towering over her, even from a distance as he spoke.

"You do not see what you have done. What you have _stolen_" He began; beginning a slow trek over towards her and remaining acutely aware of how she stubbornly refused to shrink back as he continued his movement forward "Your Commanders have committed a crime that I cannot forgive."

"Playing the martyr; John?" The young woman quipped; forcing herself to remain firmly in her position as he came to within inches of her smaller frame "Seems a little…out of character."

A strange look passed through his eyes for a moment then; and the fugitive found himself admitting how she had stunned him with her snide comment as he replied:

"And what do you think my character is composed of?"

Stepping back from him casually, Charlotte shook her head; walking over towards the seat he had formerly occupied before responding "I think you love twisting a conversation towards the direction you want it to go. I think you have some false sense of entitlement that leads you to commit acts of terrorism. And I think you would look for any excuse to gain a victory; even if your methods are underhanded and deceitful."

Flicking her eyes back to the fugitive as she ended her statement; Charlotte watched with a small sense of pride as she noted one pale hand clenching at his side while he looked away from her.

_She had touched a nerve_.

"Is that accurate, John?"

"You have no idea what you have done" He replied; his voice low…strained…as though he were holding in some untamable force as his head turned to the side to watch her once more "Your precious Starfleet is not so noble as its leaders would have you believe."

"And blowing up a room full of innocent people is _noble_?" She asked; her voice rising unintentionally as her carefully executed control over her emotions threatened to break. This was what he wanted…he _wanted_ her to fall apart. To crumble at his words. And she found herself clenching her hand in a fist at her side; the sharp bite of pain that came about as a result of her fingernails digging into the skin of her palm grounding her as Harrison practically yelled his next words.

"Those people were hardly innocent…"

"My _father_ was innocent!"

Pausing a moment, Harrison eyed the girl in front of him intently; only acutely aware of the ensign outside the glass watching them on high alert as he lowered his voice "Did you ever think that perhaps he was _not_ my target?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I believe you already know; Commander" Harrison replied, his tone switching once more to its neutral purr as he walked over to leer at the young man who was still watching them frantically from the other side of the glass "_Think_. SS Botany Bay. Torpedoes."

Furrowing her eyebrows; Charlotte attempted to process the fragments he was throwing at her, her mind still torn between being here with him, and being locked in the re-enactment of her father's last day on Earth. Against her will, the fugitive had succeeded in shaking her resolve, to an extent…and it was with a force of will that she wasn't quite sure she had that she brought her eyes up to meet Harrison's then; a faint smile gracing her lips as she asked:

"Taunting me with nonsense now; John? Give the girl a bone; and watch as she chases it off in the wrong direction?"

Before the fugitive could reply, however; she found herself jumping as the ship's comms blared to life, Chekov's voice ringing out around them.

"Commander Pike requested to ze bridge. Pike to bridge."

As the Russian cut off; Charlotte hesitantly backed away from the prisoner, her uninjured hand absently straying to the bandages covering her other wrist as she spoke.

"This is far from over, Harrison. I _will _get the information I need eventually."

"Be careful, Commander" He replied; irritating, overly confident smirk back in place as he finished "You are entering a world where you can't even _begin_ to fathom what consequences are in store."

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Charlotte asked; pausing just as the glass slid open to allow her access to the corridor beyond as she waited for a reply.

"Not being scared would be foolish" The prisoner said; pale eyes boring into her as he finished "None of you, no matter your involvement with recent crimes, are _safe._"

…

**Holy crap holy crap holy crap! The first snippet of Khan/Charlotte interactions! And I am SO NERVOUS about what you will think! I kind of wanted to go for the angle of him trying to shift the conversation where *he* wanted it to go…just because I figured that's what he would do in a situation like this. But I hope I haven't botched his character too much! I guess my main point is, I wanted to give Charlotte some backbone with him…and to give her an opportunity to sort of get under his skin a bit. But I felt it may be more realistic to have him sort of come out on top anyway. Being "better", and all.**

**Anyway, I took some of his lines from a little blog I found over on Tumblr (it's called benedict-cumberbatch-voice, I think…and can you say YUMMY!). But anyway…I figured that would give him at least some in character dialogue, on the off chance that I botched him otherwise…but I'm rambling again…**

**Anywho! To close, I'd like to open the floor to reviews as usual! I'm hoping this first interaction meets with your expectations. And I can't wait to write them in scenes together for next time!**

**Thank you to everyone who follows/favorited/reviewed! I love you all most muchly!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	8. Impossibly Possible

Shutting the doors to her quarters behind her, Charlotte fought back frustration as she toed off her boots and meandered over to her bed. She couldn't fathom why on earth Kirk thought she was better off 'getting some rest' before having another go at Harrison; especially when she hadn't really succeeded in getting much out of him during their first encounter. She had even tried to say as much when she met the Captain on the bridge. But her friend was having none of it, in spite of her valid reasoning regarding why she should go back at it as soon as possible…and in an effort to prevent him from removing her from the task entirely; she complied, irritation at how he seemed determined to treat her with kid gloves swamping her as she allowed her body to flop down onto the bed, and placed a hand over her forehead.

Their prisoner had certainly succeeded in pushing her buttons; that much could be said with surety. He had a certain way about him that hinted at being a master of manipulation; a fact that he proved a thousand times over when he successfully shifted their conversation to her father. But Charlotte forced herself to remember that she had touched a nerve too; when she accused him of being a terrorist. When she called him deceitful. And if she could do it once; she was _certain _that she would be able to do it again.

That is, if Kirk would give her a chance to spend more than fifteen minutes in there with him.

Groaning to herself, Charlotte turned her head over so that her cheek rested against the cool blanket on top of the bed; a sigh escaping as her eyes landed on her hand bag that she had so readily tossed aside once she found…

_The PADD._

Recollection swamped her then; all the events leading up to her interrogation of Harrison finally overcoming her obsession with the encounter itself as she bolted into an upright position. His words…his words to her before she left…

_SS Botany Bay. Torpedoes._

Flying off the bed, she hurried to the desk where her PADD was still set out; dragging her fingertips across the surface to restart it, and moving across the room to rummage in one of the cupboards for a bottle of water and one of the freeze-dried rations Starfleet kept in bulk aboard every one of its vessels. Tossing the rations on the table beside the now active and softly humming device; she took a seat, cracking open the seal of the water bottle and taking a sip as she pored over the folder she had opened prior to going to Kronos and obtaining Harrison.

Seeing her old history notes once again brought the faintest of smiles to her face; and she set about opening the food at her side absently, picking out a few grains of rice and popping them in her mouth as she read.

_Eugenics Wars: 1992-96_

_Genetic experiments. Superior race. Desire of scientists to have alliance with these superhumans…Augments…for future battles. Great advantages were found in this race, from intelligence, to strength, and healing capabilities. Tremendous healing capabilities. Far more advanced in every capacity than our current citizens._

Shifting a bit in the seat, Charlotte paused in her reading; taking another swig of water as she cast her eyes about her room. Belated frustration welled up within her at how Harrison had made her so distracted by her feelings over her father that she had completely missed his hints…but she was resolved to figure them out, now. Her father had laid all this out for her for a reason. Harrison himself had practically spoon-fed her the information.

All she had to do was _think_.

Returning her focus to the PADD screen, the young woman scrolled through some of Bone's more detailed add-ins regarding the medical advances of the super race; bringing the screen to a stop on the section labeled 'realms of control.' Swiping her fingers across the screen to zoom in on the small print; she leaned forward in her chair, wetting her lower lip as she took up reading again.

_Control and rise to power__one Augment, 'Khan' controls Asia/Middle East for nearly four years. Known as 'the best of the tyrants', only made war when provoked. Superior battle prowess, led to many deaths on both sides before final defeat in 1996 by human ground soldiers._

_Khan and some 80 crew members stand trial, condemned as war criminals. Subjects mysteriously disappeared, and missing status covered up until confirmation of their escape reached the public. Further investigation gleaned led to Augments' flight from custody aboard the SS Botany Bay._

"Shit" Charlotte breathed; jumping backwards in the chair and causing the legs to move across the floor with a loud scrape from the impact of her sudden movement. Blinking several times in shock, she took a deep breath to steady herself; her mind whirling as she reached over for her father's folder again. More out of an effort to confirm what she had seen earlier than anything else; she flipped open to the page showcasing the sketch of the vessel her father had drawn…her eyes flicking between it, and the screen of her PADD as she tried to coerce her thoughts into some type of order.

Both her father, _and _Harrison had mentioned it. SS Botany Bay. Both of them alluding to the Augments…it _had _to tie in, somehow.

Dragging a hand through her curls, Charlotte stood from her chair; absently pacing the floor in front of the table as she continued thinking. The Augments had escaped on the Botany Bay. They were adrift in space. Frozen in time. She knew that much. But something about the mention of the vessel in the first place still nagged at her; telling her she hadn't quite understood what was happening yet. Why on earth would both her father, _and _Harrison bring it up? What did Harrison know about any of that story, beyond what was taught in generic history classes?

And why had he chosen to bait her with both the sleeper ship, _and _the torpedoes?

Moving back over to the table, Charlotte closed the window containing her old notes; placing both palms flat on the table as she stared absently at the surface of the device. Fighting to subdue the obnoxious voice at the back of her mind that was practically screaming that her answer was right in front of her; she prepared to shut the PADD down, only coming to a stop as a folder labeled 'untitled' caught her eye. It wasn't hers…everything had a proper title if it came from her own work…

How had she missed it before?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she clicked on it; waiting the obligatory few seconds for it to load onto the screen, a gasp escaping her as a box requesting a security pass phrase popped up before her eyes.

"Strange…" She murmured; staring at the box as she tried to think of how on earth anything had been set to open only with a password when she habitually refrained from doing such a thing. Much to her father, and Spock's chagrin, she never set up intricate codes or phrases to guard her notes; fearing that she would never be able to remember them for when she required repeat access.

So why was _this_ file protected? Five spaces. For what? Letters? Numbers?

_Numbers…_

Her father had written down a sequence of numbers in the file folder he left her. A sequence of…

Flipping the folder to the very last page, Charlotte eyed her father's writing closely. 23453.

_Five numbers._

Forcing aside her trepidation, the young woman sat back down; absently fiddling with the wrapper containing her food as she paused just a moment before entering the numbers in the keypad. If she was incorrect…if the numbers were somehow meant for something else…she risked losing whatever was in the hidden folder. But something in her forced her forward; an inexplicable sense of confidence stealing over her as she punched in the code.

2-3-4-5-3.

The screen blinked for a terrifying moment…a moment in which Charlotte thought that she had inadvertently wiped the folder of anything even remotely useful…but then it flared to life once more; a scanned image with her father's untidy scrawl all over it popping up at the last second.

"Dad, you devil" She breathed; a shaky laugh escaping her as she peered at the document on the screen before her. Her father must have transferred his research over to her PADD before they had stopped speaking to one another…likely as a means of ensuring that she could pick up where he left off. He had always had a way of subtly sneaking things in like this…and Charlotte couldn't help but smile at several memories of her father doing just such a thing that rose, unbidden to her mind as she focused on the new information she had just unearthed.

_Research duplicated to daughter for her perusal, should worst happen. Reason to trust that she will be able to finish efforts to stop what can only be described as a suicide mission._

_Now have solid evidence regarding Marcus and militarized Starfleet. Admiral left for 'meeting' during a reprieve. Followed, on off chance it would give indication of his intentions._

Below those words, a picture had been taped to the document her father had scanned…a photo that made Charlotte's breath catch in her throat as she recognized the two individuals her father had caught meeting together.

Marcus…and _Harrison._

The two men were clearly locked in discussion; poring over a blueprint that the angle of the photo prohibited from being seen clearly…but the contents of the page they were so intent on was not of consequence to Charlotte in that moment. The young woman was far too caught up in the fact that a man who she had always seen as an upstanding individual…a man who she had always regarded as something like a second father…

Was clearly meeting with a criminal.

Slouching back in her chair, Charlotte sucked in a deep breath; heart hammering as she grabbed the PADD and held the device in her lap.

Harrison and Marcus. Allies? Partners? If that were the case, why on earth would their prisoner have attempted to blow up the entirety of Starfleet's top commanders, Marcus included?

None of this made any _sense_.

Forcing her eyes back to her father's work, Charlotte pursed her lips; unable to stop the shaking of her hands as she continued to read.

_More documentation in Admiral's office, confirming his intentions to advance against Klingons. Battle plans laid out in skeleton…mention of torpedoes._

_Further research into the ally…'Harrison'…leads nowhere. From findings, existence only confirmed around one year ago. Before that, nothing._

_Set meet with 'Harrison', time and date pending results of Kirk-captaincy hearing._ _Arranged meeting as 'Marcus.'_

"What?" Charlotte whispered; one hand coming to cover her mouth as she re-read the last line on the scanned document one final time. Had her father really intended to meet the man who ultimately killed him? Had he really desired to go so far in his investigation, as to pose as the man he was looking into…acting as him…at least until he actually arrived at the unnamed meeting place?

Surely he could never have come out of such a thing alive…

Charlotte tapped at the screen to permit the folder to change pages then; her heart in her throat as she attempted to curtail her racing thoughts just long enough to see what else her father may have left her. Heart sinking as she realized the only other documentation in what the late Admiral had given her was yet another sequence of numbers, and a single word; Charlotte snagged a pen from the inside of a cup she kept on the table beside her, and scrawled them on her palm.

_479834._

Besides the six numbered sequence, there was only one last word on the page…a word that seemed to cause all of the missing pieces of this puzzle to click together in Charlotte's mind.

_Torpedoes._

Rising quickly from the chair, the young woman hurriedly shut the PADD down once again; barely giving the screen time to fade to black before she was at her door, yanking it open and shutting it carelessly behind her as she hurried off in the direction of engineering.

Each torpedo had a keypad just near its head…something she had noted, with curiosity, when she had seen the things prior to their entrance aboard the Enterprise. She hadn't given it much thought before, until now…but she could no longer ignore the significance of its presence. It was a locking device. She knew that, now. And as she raced down the halls of the Enterprise, past several startled ensigns that dodged out of her way; a growing sense of dread filled her, sending ice flowing through her veins as she ran towards her destination.

God, how she hoped her father was wrong about his suspicions…

….

Skidding to a stop just outside the doors to the Engineering Bay, Charlotte punched in the code that would allow her access; stepping inside and listening to the quiet hiss of the doors sliding closed behind her before setting off at a jog towards where she knew the torpedoes were being held. Another door located at the end of a narrow crossway slid to the side as she flashed her identification badge at its scanner…and she was unable to stop the gasp of wonderment that left her as that door opened into a large room lit with faded blue light…light that gleamed off of the polished surface of each torpedo as they hung silently, unaware of the new intruder in their solitude.

Stepping forward, Charlotte walked as quietly as she could down the faintly outlined aisle between the rows of the weapons; unsure of why she felt it necessary to operate in silence as though the objects surrounding her might hear her approach…and finally coming to the missile that was next to an empty security device. Faint recollection of Jim mentioning Carol and Bones' intent to take one to the surface of a nearby planetoid flooded back to her as she eyed the empty holding place for a moment; before snapping back to the present and stepping up to the torpedo she intended to examine.

Seventy two torpedoes. Containing God only knew what. It was a heady thought…being the one to unlock the weapon. Charlotte knew that it was probably the exact same thing Bones and Carol were attempting to do as well. And she was forced to pause for a fraction of a second; turning her head to look at the armada surrounding her. It was impossible, wasn't it? What her father had seemed to suspect? Marcus _couldn't _have done such a thing…

_Superior strength. Regenerative capabilities. _

Images of Harrison fighting Klingons assaulted her then; her mind now over-analyzing every move he made during the brief time they had fought together. How he seemed never to tire, fighting the enemy, and simultaneously fending off her own attempts at attack…how he was unruffled when she pointed her weapon at him…completely fearless in the face of what would have only been certain death. Certain death, at least, for an _ordinary_ human.

But what if he was _not_ ordinary?

Jolting as she recalled exactly how unflappable he seemed when she had punched him…_forcibly_…Charlotte shook herself; forcing her mind to shift back to the present as she tried to shove aside her growing suspicion that her father had been correct. She wouldn't accept it. _Couldn't _accept it. Not without proof. In spite of her father's work, some part of her remained resolutely opposed to the thought of Admiral Marcus betraying the very federation he vowed to protect…unwilling to acknowledge the high likelihood that these torpedoes were important in so many ways. Ways she had never even imagined. And so she steadied her posture in front of the torpedo she had selected; rolling her shoulders to attempt easing the tension she felt crawling through her body as she lowered her gaze to the keypad.

_Just six simple numbers…_

Letting out a shaky breath, Charlotte extended her hand forward; fingers grazing over the keypad hesitantly, as she entered the code she had scribbled on her opposite palm.

4-7-9-8-3-4.

A silent pause ensued, then; before a faint hiss echoed through the room, causing the young woman to start backwards instinctively as a low whirring noise reached her ears. Allowing her hand to drop to her side, she soon regained her composure…stepping forward as the flawless, embossed surface of the torpedo began to shudder slightly; and wondering if she had, in fact, succeeded in unlocking the device at all…or if the code had been for another purpose.

Detonation.

The slight fissure that formed at the head of the torpedo as she stood there, watching soon put all thoughts of needing to figure out how to deactivate the device on hold, though…and Charlotte found herself staring, open-mouthed, as the shiny surface slowly split open so that a small rectangular window appeared in the place of what had once been immovable metal.

A window that, upon leaning forward to gain a better vantage point; showed the pale face of a human.

A human locked in cryogenic sleep.

…

**Hola! First of all, I have to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who let me know what they thought of Harrison in the last chapter! I'm so glad that I haven't botched him too badly (at least not yet, right? Hehe). I really do appreciate all of your kind words of encouragement! You should see the silly grin I get on my face every time I read one of the reviews…on second thought…maybe not. It might frighten you, lol.**

**Next, I'd like to say a special thank you to HaruHaruxLove for pointing out my little miscommunication from last chapter! You were absolutely right that Char really should have reacted differently, in theory, at John's mention of SS Botany Bay, etc…and I definitely (upon re-reading it myself) was in no way clear that I *wanted* Charlotte to miss his hint at first due to her resurgence of grief for her father. That was definitely my intent to add that in there…but I suppose trying to write at close to eleven o'clock at night really isn't that conducive to adding in all the little nuances I need to cover. That said, I tried to allude to how she "missed" the information at the beginning of this chapter…so I hope that sorts out any confusion successfully; without seeming forced or hokey.**

**Lastly…ACK! Yet another chapter that I sort of walked out on a limb for…given that I have jumped off the SS Star Trek Canon for a bit and landed somewhere over on the Make-It-Up-As-You-Go vessel. (winks for lame terminology on my end). I really do hope that my little additions make at least a modicum of sense…but that being said, if they're complete trash, I can redo the chapter without them (though that may take some time to be honest). And to CynthiaSylar…I know you said don't worry…what can I say? Lol it's an inherent part of my nature…feel free to send Khan over to knock some sense into me? (har har again).**

**Okay, that about sums up my useless rambling (I think? Run while you still can, just in case…). But I do want to thank all of you AGAIN for following and giving me your thoughts! I can't wait to see what you think of this chapter!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	9. Blurred Allegiance

"Jesus" Charlotte exclaimed; staggering backwards as her hand flew to her throat, and jumping as her back bumped into the torpedo behind her. She couldn't believe what she had just unearthed…and as she reached around to steady the torpedo she had nudged so that it would stop swaying in its holder; she found herself fighting back nausea, her heart hammering as she bolted for the door leading back into the main engineering bay. Allowing instinct to guide her, as her mind seemed intent on focusing on nothing but the body in cryostasis; the young woman cleared the sliding door leading to the main part of the ship, pausing suddenly and leaning back against the wall of the corridor as a strange sense of vertigo stole over her. Her head thumped against the firm white surface, then…and she forced herself to close her eyes; sucking in deep breaths as her hands slowly moved backwards until they were palm down on the wall.

Something about the cool metal of the Enterprise…how it was solid…firm…had always been able to be a source of comfort; even from the beginning. But even the act of flattening herself against the wall so that almost her entire body was plastered against the ship she so loved was not enough to rid her of the panic that was clamoring through her like a freight train. Her body was trying to come to terms with what she had just unearthed…and it was failing. All thought of forcing her reeling mind into coherency was long gone; and it was all she could do to hold back her nausea just long enough for her to break away from the wall and dart into the nearest darkened room, before the contents of her stomach ended up in a trash bin.

There was a _body_ in that torpedo. Which, logically, suggested that there were also bodies in the other torpedoes. Seventy-two bodies. Frozen.

This was, in no way, _normal_.

Leaning back against the wall, Charlotte nudged the door closed with her foot in an effort to avoid anyone taking note of her presence, and checking in on her. She should have been composed…that was how a Starfleet Commander should behave. But she couldn't have stopped the vicious tremors from wracking through her body as she drew her hand up to wipe at her mouth if she tried.

How was she supposed to regain composure now?

Footsteps outside the door of the room she had hidden away in served to yank her thoughts away from what she had just unearthed then; her body shifting so that her ear was pressed against the cool metal of the door as familiar voices reached her.

"So what the hell do we do about this? We can't possibly _use_ the damned things!"

Bones. So he and Carol must have just returned…knowing, now, what each torpedo contained just as Charlotte did.

"We tell the Captain, Dr. McCoy. That's all we can do" Carol's voice replied; her normally cool tone slightly harried as it faded away down the hall. They were going to tell Jim. He was going to find out exactly what Harrison was. If his name was even Harrison…and that was when she knew…

Her friend was not about to let her alone with their fugitive after he discovered what the man _truly_ was. Not in a million years. So if she wanted her shot at getting more answers out of him before she lost the chance…

She had to act, now.

….

He knew she would come back, eventually. She wouldn't be able to help herself from looking into what he could only suspect her father had left her. The man had tried to set up a meet with _him_, of all people. And Harrison had every reason to believe that he would never have gone into such a thing without leaving at least some modicum of research behind; as a precautionary measure.

Admiral Pike was not as self-assured as Marcus had been. Not enough to make a potentially deadly decision without leaving someone else the task of finishing his work. And that 'someone' was his daughter, Charlotte. A woman who, in the brief encounters Harrison had endured, had shown a tremendous tenacity; even in the face of overwhelming grief. From their time together, it had become obvious that her father's death haunted her more than she cared to admit. But _he_ had seen it. He had read her emotions as easily as though they had been displayed on a screen at her side for all to see. In spite of all of her attempts to play the cold, distant interrogator; he had seen through to the woman beneath.

And how could he not? He knew all too well what it was like to lose everything you had ever loved.

Except his crew was _here_. On this very ship. They were the reason he had surrendered; instead of tearing each of the Starfleet officers that had come to find him apart back on Kronos. They were the reason he was at least acting as though he would give them his cooperation…that is, until the moment was right.

Then, and _only_ then, he would take his chance. His people would be free again. He would see to it.

But what of Charlotte? Something about the young woman intrigued him; in spite of his desire to maintain a cool distance from the crew of the Enterprise…so would he be able to end her, along with the rest of her compatriots when the time came? He knew she would fight him, to the very end…the stubbornness he had picked up on so easily would allow nothing less. But she was different from the others. She was the one who would be most likely to understand the reasoning behind his actions; having so recently lost one of her own loved ones. Having that commonality, no matter how remote in scale, might be able to render her useful to him in some degree.

So the question remained…when all was said and done; _could_ he end her as he ended the others?

For once, in all of his long existence…the fugitive was unsure what his next course of action could be.

The hiss of the cell door startled him out of his musings then; and he looked up casually, fighting the desire to smirk as he noticed Pike's daughter hesitating on the threshold. She looked frightened…shell-shocked. Her face was paler than normal; and her eyes were blown wider than he had ever seen them. He could hear her heart racing with his heightened senses…he could practically smell her fear as she stood there, watching him.

_She knew._

Shifting slightly so that he faced her directly as she finally stepped inside his cell; the prisoner watched her intently, hand clenching against his knee as he registered her hands shaking at her sides while she spoke.

"Your name isn't John Harrison; is it?"

Her question stunned him in that moment; the tension in her voice reverberating around the room as he tilted his head in affirmation of her question in spite of how her directness caught him off guard. He had expected her to dance around the details for a moment or two before confronting him head on…but then, she had already surprised him from their previous encounter; and her assessment of his cause…why wouldn't she surprise him again?

"You came to this conclusion quickly; Commander" He said; noting how she flinched at the low timbre of his voice as he went on "What led you to it?"

"You know _exactly_ what led me here."

"Do I?" He inquired; getting up from his seat and circling slowly around her while she remained rigidly in place "I cannot be _sure_, Commander. And we know what happens when one makes assumptions…"

"The torpedoes…"

"What about them, Commander?"

"Seventy-two. Seventy-two torpedoes…a body in each one. Why?"

Coming to a stop in front of her, Harrison eyed Charlotte with an intensity that had her insides twisting; his eyes flicking across her face before he replied:

"What did your father think?"

"What are you…"

"He left you his notes on Marcus, did he not? What did they say?"

Flinching at the harsh tone of his voice; Charlotte forced herself to look up at him as she breathed in deeply, doing her best to steady her nerves as she responded.

"How in _hell_ do you know about that?"

"I suspected. _You _just confirmed it" The fugitive replied; shooting a faint smirk Charlotte's way before he resumed his pacing "What did they say?"

Opening her mouth to reply, Charlotte paused a moment; a wave of irritation stealing over her at how suddenly _she_ seemed to be the one being interrogated. He had turned the tables on her once again. But she wouldn't let him hold the upper hand. Not for long.

"My father suspected Marcus of mounting a militarized agenda. He believed that he was organizing plans to attack Kronos. To ensure that we would be locked in a war with the Klingons before the rest of Starfleet even realized what had happened. And he was doing so with…"

"With what?"

Charlotte looked at him then; her eyes belying her anxiety as she worried her lower lip with her teeth. She was conflicted, just as she had been before in their previous encounter. But it seemed as though she didn't want to answer his latest question…almost as though she believed if she remained silent, then every lie about the head of Starfleet that she had unknowingly surrounded herself with would not have been for nothing. But the prisoner was having none of that…and so he came to a stop behind her slight frame; stepping as close to her as possible as he whispered:

"_Say _it."

"He was doing so with _your_ help."

The fugitive could feel her tense as she spoke; her shoulders going taught underneath the fabric of her Starfleet uniform as he leaned closer to her body. She was reacting to his every move, even though she probably wasn't aware of it. And that sent a strange thrill through him as he finally tore himself back from her; walking around to face her once again as he said:

"And do you believe it?"

Pausing, Charlotte closed her eyes; air hissing in through her nose before she looked up at the man before her. Doing her best not to let her nerves show; she found herself rolling her shoulders in an attempt to loosen her muscles, her voice soft as she addressed him.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

"Oh I think you _do_, Commander" Harrison replied; folding his hands behind his back as he went on "You just don't want to admit it."

"What gives you the right to believe you know what I think?"

"How can I not know; Commander? Despite your…_admirable_...attempts to convince me otherwise; your face is an open book" He replied; reveling in the small glint of defiance that flashed through her green eyes as he elaborated "I know that you have no desire to be here. That the only thing keeping you with me, instead of on the bridge with your beloved _Captain; _is morbid curiosity about what I have done. So tell me, _Charlotte_…what is it you want to know?"

Whirling around so that she no longer faced their captive, Charlotte took a few steps away; fingers curling into a fist so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palm before she took a shuddering breath and said "Why did you kill him?"

"I did not kill your father; Charlotte."

"Don't lie to me" The young woman hissed; turning back to face Harrison as she shook her head in disbelief "Don't make me out to be a fool."

For his part, the fugitive simply watched her; waiting patiently for her to make the first move…holding on to the rush of satisfaction that he now had the young woman _exactly_ where he wanted her. His intent gaze seemed to rattle her a bit…but she soon cleared her throat; taking up the job of pacing while he remained still and focused as she addressed him.

"How can you expect me to believe that? I was _there_ when you attacked at Daystrom."

"I expect you to believe it; because it is the truth" Harrison replied; eyes never wavering from Charlotte's pacing form as he went on "I knew enough of Marcus' habits and suspicions to realize that he would try to remove any potential adversary from direct contact with him; and thus from all possibility of discovering what he was doing. I assumed that your father would not be at that meeting."

"You were wrong."

"A fact that I am well aware of" The prisoner intoned; his voice strained as he elaborated "I was aware that it was your father, not Marcus, who arranged to meet with me after the hearing regarding your dear Captain…"

"Ah, so you would rather have killed him then. When it was less public" Charlotte interrupted, her pain mingling with frustration at how easily this man could meld her to his own end. She looked as though she might like to say more…every cell in her body itching to take back control of this encounter…but before she could do so, Harrison had closed the distance between them; one hand curling around her arm as he spoke.

"I told you before; he was not my target."

"Then who was?"

"Admiral Marcus."

Rendered speechless, Charlotte could only stare up at Harrison as he maintained his grip on her arm; acutely aware of how he seemed almost to be holding back…how it almost seemed as though his grip could get tighter than it already was…and that it was only a strictly honed force of will that prevented his hand from shattering her forearm entirely. Genuine fear clawed its way to the surface then; but the young woman did her best to force it aside; swallowing stiffly before she replied.

"So that you could control the new, military version of Starfleet for yourself?"

"Hardly" Harrison answered; never once relinquishing his hold on the slight young woman who was trying so hard not to fall apart in front of him "Marcus took something from me. Something I cannot allow him to ever have in his possession again."

Blinking, Charlotte lowered her gaze to Harrison's chest; her mind running at ninety miles a minute as she attempted to sift through what she knew. The torpedoes…the bodies…it hadn't made sense before; why Harrison would put people in weapons; especially if her father's suspicions were true, and they were all…Augments. But what if he had done so because his hand was forced? What if he had imprisoned his own people, because he had no other choice?

"The torpedoes" She breathed; returning her gaze to the icy blue of Harrison's as she awaited his confirmation of her suspicion. When it was not forthcoming, she half-heartedly attempted to withdraw from him; a small gasp escaping as she realized he was refusing to let go. Resisting the urge to fight her way free, she simply watched him; teeth once again coming out to worry her lower lip as the fugitive finally broke the silence.

"Marcus wanted my, shall we say, _expertise_ in weaponry and strategy" He began; stepping towards her and allowing a faint grin to toy with the corner of his mouth at how the girl instinctively stepped away as he went on "He found leverage to use against me…"

"In the form of seventy-two _people_."

"Precisely. He knew I would do anything to ensure their safety. And so he held them captive; never once failing to remind me of what stood to happen if I should put even one toe over the line he had drawn."

Stepping back as she realized that Harrison had released her arm from his iron grip; Charlotte opened her mouth to reply, only to shut it once again as she tried to come to terms with what the prisoner had just disclosed. She was not lying when she said she didn't know what to believe anymore…and this? This just made it all worse. By the looks of it, Harrison, or whoever he was, had been manipulated. Her father's research confirmed it. Marcus was, indeed, out for blood.

But what did that mean for _her_? The Admiral had tried to make her the one responsible for his former ally's demise. He wanted the man dead by _her_ hand.

"He…he ordered me to kill you" Charlotte said then; her voice shaking in spite of her desire to keep herself in check "On Kronos. He wanted me to…"

"To tie up his loose ends" Harrison supplied; turning his back on her to look out into the corridor of the brig "To end something that was…unstoppable. You could not have killed me, Charlotte; even if you _tried._ You would have gone to your death instead."

"I could never have killed you. Because you…you aren't entirely _human_, are you?" It was more so a statement of fact, than a question…but still the tone in Charlotte's voice seemed hesitant. Uncertain. As though everything she now knew to be true was somehow at a crossroads with everything she had previously believed. And it was making her _sick_.

Turning to face the young woman, the prisoner shook his head; beginning to take careful, measured steps back towards her as he replied.

"I had wondered how long it would take you to discover that little facet of the truth" He began; continuing his advances, and subsequently forcing Charlotte to walk backwards until her back bumped against the wall of the cell he was being locked in. Shifting so that his body was effectively pinning hers, with no chance of escape; he brought a hand down to latch onto her uninjured wrist, scooping it up and turning it over carefully as he spoke again.

"Do you have _any_ idea how easy it would be for me to _break you_?"

Fighting furiously against the tears of raw panic that wanted to seep to the surface at the delicate play of his fingertips against her skin; Charlotte sank as far back into the wall behind her as she could, trying like hell to find some way out of this. She was trapped. The prisoner had manipulated her through her grief and confusion. He had used her knowledge, and her fears against her; and had literally, as well as figuratively, pinned her against a wall. But it wasn't scaring her that he _could_, in fact, break her. No.

It was scaring her that he _hadn't_ yet.

"So why haven't you?"

The question was simple. Straight forward. And she _was_ curious to know why the man holding onto her as though trying to convey brute strength in spite of simultaneously trying to avoid breaking her was seemingly so intent upon tormenting her like this; when ending her would be so terribly easy…

What was wrong with her?

"Why haven't I killed you?" Harrison inquired; a low laugh sending tingles through Charlotte's skin where his fingertips lingered, curled around her wrist "Because I still _need_ you."

A frantic disarray of questions bombarded Charlotte's mind then; but before she could open her mouth to put a voice to even one of them, the sound of footsteps reached her ears, soon followed by a familiar, albeit angry voice.

"I'd let her go if I were you."

…

**Woop woop! Another chapter! I'm terribly sorry for the uncharacteristic delay…I spent part of the week not knowing where to go with this chapter; and the other part between doctor's appointments for my grandma and myself. But here she is!**

**A small caveat is appropriate here, namely because this chapter and the dialogue therein sort of ran away with me as I was writing it. I had a plan when I set out…but then as I wrote, my brain sort of tossed that plan out as rubbish; and came up with what you just read instead. That being said, if it's all sorts of icky, I can resort it and post at a later date. But if you like it, it stays. And here comes the part where I say (as always) that I can't WAIT to hear what you think! (grin) **

**Lastly I'd like to take a moment to let you all know that next week I jump back into what is called 'rotations' for school (basically forty plus hours a week of working for free in a pharmacy, coupled with the possibility of having extra work besides). That being said, updates may be a bit more scarce than usual…but rest assured that I will still be writing as often as I can! I hope you can all stick with me!**

**That about does it for now! Thank you all, as usual, for reading and reviewing! Love ya!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	10. Bargaining Chips

"_Captain_."

Unfurling his fingers from around Charlotte's wrist, Harrison took a singular step backwards; his eyes never leaving the young woman's face as he asked "To what do I owe this…pleasure?"

"Charlotte, get out of there" Jim ordered; completely ignoring the prisoner's snide remark as he punched in the code to permit the door to Harrison's cell to slide open. For her part, his friend remained rooted to the spot where the fugitive had left her; a fact that made the Captain's heart catch in his chest as he hissed.

"_Charlotte!_"

The low urgency in his exclamation seemed to be enough to finally jolt his friend into action; and Jim found himself breathing a momentary sigh of relief as Charlotte slowly backed out of the cell, his hand reaching up to gently tug her through the door before it slid shut. She seemed to be almost in a state of shock…something that he had no doubt was due at least in part to her continued interactions with the madman aboard his ship…and it was with extreme force of will that he merely ground his teeth together as that man spoke up; his tone haughty as he admonished his captor.

"I will not hurt her, Captain; surely you must know that."

"Why am I inclined _not_ to believe you?"

"Because you, like every other Starfleet officer, refuses to trust what you cannot understand" Harrison replied; stepping back over to the small bench in his cell and taking a seat, watching Charlotte and her Captain all the while. The intensity in his gaze was unsettling to them both…but for her part, Charlotte remained silent; content to stand behind Jim as he brought up a new topic of conversation. One she was already familiar with.

"Why is there a man in that torpedo?"

"There are men, and women in all those torpedoes; Captain. _I_ put them there."

Kirk and Spock exchanged a look then, the Vulcan's eyes showing nothing of the trepidation that was so evident for his Captain as he returned to questioning their fugitive.

"Who the hell are you?"

"A remnant of a time long past. Genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war" The prisoner began; never once tearing his eyes from Charlotte…never doubting that she would guarantee the Captain's eventual acknowledgement of the truth of his words…as he elaborated "But we were condemned as criminals. Forced into exile. For centuries, we slept. Hoping that, when we awoke things would be…_different_. But as a result of the destruction of Vulcan; your Starfleet began to aggressively search distant quadrants of space. My ship was found adrift. I alone was revived."

"I looked up John Harrison" Jim interrupted then; shifting so that he stood closer to the glass of his prisoner's cell as he went on "Until a year ago, he didn't exist."

"John Harrison was a fiction created the moment I was awoken by your Admiral Marcus to help him advance his cause." Getting up from his position seated on the bench, the prisoner advanced towards the glass until he would have been face to face with the Captain; but for the wall between them, a palpable sense of pure loathing emanating from his next words "A smoke screen to conceal my _true_ identity."

A pause ensued then, Jim's eyes flicking to Charlotte's in question. Something in the way she was standing beside him, eyes locked on some far away sight that he couldn't pinpoint; told him that she knew more than she was letting on. That she was being tight-lipped for a reason. But before the Captain could inquire as to what his friend was keeping from him; the prisoner was addressing him again.

"My name…is _Khan_."

"Khan…" Jim murmured; trailing off as something about the name triggered the beginnings of a distant memory. He had heard the name before…but _where_?

"This is where paying _attention_ in class would have helped you, Jim" Charlotte interjected then; sensing that Jim was at least able to determine that he _should_ know what was going on here, and fighting a faint tinge of ill-timed amusement as memories of how often she and Bones had needed to save their Captain in the final minutes before a test flooded her mind "SS Botany Bay? Augments?"

Jim eyed her for a moment; confusion giving way to shocked realization as one eyebrow raised in question. Charlotte's only answer was a simple nod…but that was enough to confirm the Captain's sneaking suspicion; and he turned to face his adversary once again, disbelief still evident in his tone as he asked:

"So why would a Starfleet Admiral…ask a 300 year old frozen man for help?"

"Because I am…_better_."

"At what?"

"Everything" Their prisoner…_Khan_…asserted; the utter surety and conviction in his reply stunning Kirk as he elaborated "Alexander Marcus needed to respond to an uncivilized threat in a civilized time; and for that he needed a warrior's mind. _My _mind. To design weapons, and warships."

"You are suggesting the Admiral violated every regulation he vowed to uphold; simply because he wanted to exploit your intellect."

Resisting the urge to snort, Charlotte heard Spock's almost instinctual defense of the head of Starfleet in silence; fingers twitching imperceptibly at how easily the Vulcan had risen to combat the accusations being hurled at the Admiral. Accusations that were, in fact, true…

"He wanted to exploit my _savagery_" Khan argued; interrupting Charlotte's thoughts, and shifting in the cell so that he could level an almost scathing look of disdain towards the First Officer as he went on "Intellect alone is useless in a fight, Mr. Spock; you…you can't even break a rule, how can you be expected to break bone?"

Turning to begin pacing in front of his captors, Khan elaborated "Marcus used me to design weapons. To help him realize his vision of a militarized Starfleet. He sent _you _to use those weapons. To fire _my _torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. And then, he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space; leading to one inevitable outcome. The Klingons would come searching for whomever was responsible; and you would have no chance for escape. Marcus…would finally have the war he talked about. The war he always wanted."

"No" Kirk interjected; finally speaking up in an attempt to prevent the man before him from telling what could only be more lies "I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You _killed _them. In cold blood."

Marcus could never have done such a thing…he wouldn't have aligned with a terrorist for the purpose of creating some fictitious war. He couldn't have. Because if he had…then everything Jim Kirk had known about the head of Starfleet would have been a lie. And that was something he wasn't sure he could face.

"Jim…Jim, I think you should listen to him" Charlotte said then; her hand coming to rest on Kirk's arm as he flicked his gaze to hers, eyes filled with disbelief.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I…I think he's right."

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"Jim, listen to me" Charlotte hissed; stepping in front of her friend so that he could not brush her aside and resume conversation with Khan…at least not yet. He needed to believe…he didn't have the whole story…and so, she looked up at him in determination; her voice shaking a bit as she went on "Before my dad…_died_…he was compiling research. Research that confirms everything you've just been told."

"You can't tell me you _believe _this; Char!" Kirk exclaimed; searching in vain for something in his friend's eyes…something that would show him he hadn't made a mistake in allowing her to be alone with a madman. Something that would relieve his growing fear that she had allowed herself to be manipulated…

"Jim, there's a damn _picture_ of the two of them together! Documentation that my father had, confirming Marcus' possession of the torpedoes. _His _torpedoes!" Charlotte protested; ignoring how Khan was now staring at her, his expression somewhere between complete shock at how she was defending him, and haughty confidence at having seemingly won her over as she went on "It's on my PADD if you need proof."

Dragging a hand through his hair, Kirk shook his head; belated frustration mingling with his shock as he asked:

"Why did you not mention this before?"

"Didn't exactly have _time_, Jim…"

Holding up a hand to stall Charlotte's attempts at justifying her non-disclosure; Kirk turned to face his prisoner once again, still not entirely confident that the man was telling the truth as he said:

"So why did you attack the entirety of Starfleet? Why kill all those people, if you were only around to start a war for the Admiral?"

"Marcus took my crew from me…" Khan began; the almost condescending tone to his voice forcing Kirk to clench his hands into fists as he cut him off. No matter what the Admiral had _supposedly_ done…that would never be cause for senseless massacre. Not to Kirk, at least.

"You are a _murderer_!"

"He used my friends to control me" Khan said; voice rising over the Captain's, and drowning it out as the pain he felt drowned out all of his former disdain "I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I had designed; but I was discovered. I had no choice, but to escape alone. And when I did…I had _every _reason to believe that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear."

Khan paused then; stopping his movements that were so akin to a caged panther as he turned to lock his potent gaze on Kirk, an unexpected shine in his eyes…_tears_…catching the lights of the Enterprise as he finished "So I responded in kind. My crew…_is_ my family; Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for _your _family?"

Kirk opened his mouth to retort, but found himself stopping short as he realized with chagrin that he too would be enraged if anyone tried to use his crew…the only real family he had…against him. And though he may not opt to go the same route as his prisoner; he was unable to deny that he would have to do _something_. He, like Khan, would not be able to sit by and watch as everything that mattered to him was destroyed. A fact that served to scare him as much as it made it easier to see where the prisoner had been coming from.

Before he could venture any further down that particular train of thought, however; a barely audible beep reached his ears, forcing him to return to the present as communication from the bridge was patched through to the brig.

"_Proximity alert; Sir. There's a ship at warp headed straight for us_" Sulu's voice rang out over the comms; causing Kirk to level an uncertain gaze towards Khan as he asked:

"Klingons?"

"At warp? No Kirk. We both know who it is" Khan intoned; blue eyes still shining as he came to a stop directly across from the Captain behind the glass. A look of understanding passed between them, then…but before either man could say anything further, Sulu's voice reached them yet again.

"_I don't think so. It's not coming at us from Kronos_."

"Jim, I think…" Charlotte began; coming to a stop as Kirk turned to face her, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder lightly before he spoke.

"Can you stay with him?" The Captain wasn't entirely confident about leaving his friend down here with their fugitive…but if this _was_ Marcus, he sure as hell didn't want her near _him_, either.

"Of course" She confirmed, her lack of hesitation surprising her in spite of her newly developing fear of what they were about to face. Marcus had found them. And if her father, and Khan were right…

This was not about to end well.

Before she could spend too much more time contemplating their current predicament, however; Kirk's hand dropped down to his side, the sudden loss of contact jolting Charlotte back to reality as her friend began jogging back towards the bridge while he addressed the man stationed nearby.

"Lieutenant, move Khan to Med Bay. Stick six security officers on him."

"Yes, Captain" The man replied; standing from his post and waiting for Kirk to pass him by with Spock close on his heels, before stepping over to the keypad at the side of the cell, and punching in the code. Turning his head slightly to face Charlotte, he gave her a curious look; seeming to consider something in the back of his mind for a moment before he addressed her.

"It's just you and me until we get to Med Bay…"

"We'll be fine, Lieutenant" Charlotte interrupted; leveling a significant look in Khan's direction before going on "He won't hurt us. That much I can promise you."

A disgruntled snort was her only response from the lieutenant before he was stepping aside to permit Khan's passage into the brig; his hands tightening so fiercely around his weapon that his knuckles turned white as he gestured with his head towards the direction they were to travel. Ignoring how uneasy he was making the man at his side, Khan's blue eyes immediately fell to Charlotte; a faint grin stealing over his features as he arched an eyebrow at her while he spoke.

"Lead on, Commander."

…..

"So why in hell do we need to keep him hidden down _here_?" Bones demanded; sending a dark look Khan's way, and trying to ignore the irritation invoked by the cool detachment the prisoner was showing as he sat, perfectly straight, on one of the examination tables "Couldn't have locked him in one of the exhaust bays?"

"Captain's orders, Bones."

"_Captains orders_" McCoy grumbled; shaking his head and turning towards one of the many screens at his disposal as he groused on "I have half a mind to tell our _Captain_ I'm not about to be a damn babysitter for his problem child."

Holding back a laugh brought about by the comparison of an unruly toddler with someone like Khan; Charlotte spared a small smile for the doctor before walking towards the prisoner as a sudden thought came to her mind.

"You said you knew my father was the one who arranged the meeting with you under Marcus' name" She said; fighting to suppress the hesitation that stole over her as she was once again captured in a piercing blue gaze "What was your plan, had you actually gone through with it?"

"As soon as Marcus learned what your father had discovered; he made certain…plans. Plans to ensure his cooperation, should he try to expose what we were devising" Khan began; catching the minute tensing of Charlotte's shoulders as he explained "He intended to use _you_ against your father; as he remained certain that any threat to your life would all but guarantee his colleague's surrender."

"And you cared about this, why?"

"Any chance to distract Marcus would allow me to obtain my crew's freedom. I intended to _warn_ your father about the threat to your life; in hopes that he would be forced to action. Action that would give me enough time to get my people to safety."

"So it was a means to an end, for you."

"Hardly" Khan argued; the faintest hints of anger resurfacing in his tone as he leaned forward, ignoring how the security officers surrounding him tensed visibly as his movements put him closer to Charlotte "While I have no loyalty to Starfleet; I know what it is to have someone you love used against you. I would not have seen your father go through such a thing while doing nothing."

"But Marcus discovering your actions regarding the torpedoes…"

"Forced me to abandon the meeting with your father for a more…direct approach" The prisoner supplied; eyes locking with Charlotte's as he waited for her reaction. The Augment could practically hear her mind speeding to catch up with everything she had learned in a manner of hours…but before she could make any attempt at verbalizing what she was thinking, Marcus' daughter had bolted into the room; skidding to a halt and commanding Charlotte's undivided attention as she said:

"It's him. My father."

One hand curling almost instinctively into a fist; Charlotte let out a gust of air, trying to corral her thoughts towards what they should do about the appearance of the man who would surely not hesitate to kill them as Carol spoke again.

"Captain Kirk is preparing to hail him now. Broadcasting for the whole ship" Carol replied, her statement confirmed not soon after by a faint beep as the comms came to life; the voice that echoed into the Med Bay bringing a chill to Charlotte's blood as everyone in the small room remained frozen...listening.

"_Captain Kirk…"_

"_Admiral Marcus. I wasn't expecting you. That's a hell of a ship you've got there."_

"_And I wasn't expecting to get word that you'd taken Harrison into custody in violation of your orders."_

"_Well we, uh…had to improvise when our warp core unexpectedly malfunctioned. But you knew that, didn't you sir?"_

"_I don't take your meaning."_

"_Well that's why you're here, isn't it? To assist with repairs? Why else would the head of Starfleet personally come to the edge of the neutral zone."_

"_Captain, they're scanning our ship."_

"_Is there something I can help you find, sir?"_

"_Where is your prisoner, Kirk?"_

"_Per Starfleet regulations, I'm planning on returning…Khan…to Earth; to stand trial."_

"_Well shit. You talked to him. That's exactly what I was hoping to avoid…"_

Doing her best to ignore the Admiral's attempts at explaining what he had done in waking Khan from cryosleep; Charlotte placed both hands, palms down, on the empty exam table beside her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she forced herself to push the continued conversation between Marcus and Jim to the back of her mind; determined to maintain a stoic exterior, if nothing else so that she would not be forced to show weakness in front of their prisoner….a man who would likely lord it over her if he caught even the faintest hints of her losing her resolve. She felt as though she was being pulled in a thousand different directions at once. She wanted to believe that Marcus was not what Khan accused him of being. But her father's research…everything he had left behind for her, confirmed that Khan had spoken the truth.

Marcus had betrayed them all. And although he now appeared to be trying to persuade Kirk that if they gave up Khan's location; they could all go free…

Charlotte knew that none of them stood a chance.

Without turning, the young woman took a shaky breath; letting it out slowly as her hands pressed more firmly into the surface of the exam table when she spoke. She had to know what they were up against. And Khan was the only one who could offer her insight.

"What is that ship capable of?"

"It could decimate the Enterprise in a matter of seconds" Khan replied simply; noting how Charlotte's body had tensed as he went on "It was built for one purpose. _War_."

"He won't offer us the opportunity to negotiate; will he?" Charlotte asked; even though she highly suspected what the answer would be. If Marcus really was planning a war…if he really had intended to militarize Starfleet…he would have no choice but to eliminate the ones who knew about it, and would stand in his way. Most of which were aboard the Enterprise, in the middle of enemy space. Defenseless.

"I should think not. This crew…particularly _you_…knows too much. You are…a liability" The prisoner answered; the look in his eyes indecipherable as he watched Charlotte take in the information he had given her. Of all of them, she was perhaps in the greatest amount of danger; given Marcus' knowledge of what her father had discovered. And he of all people knew…

The Admiral was not about to let her live through this. Not when he had already proven what he was capable of doing to anyone who became too much of a _burden_.

Regarding Charlotte with a knowing look, Khan made to speak again; only to come up short as the Enterprise gave a small lurch from its stationary position as it shifted into warp. Palpable relief seemed to flood the small room then; emanating from the security officers and the doctor…the ship's movement seeming to fill the man called McCoy with renewed confidence as he brought a scanner up to the side of Khan's face.

"Well, at least we're moving."

"If you think you're safe at warp; you're wrong, Dr. McCoy" Khan admonished; shifting slightly to level his gaze towards Carol Marcus as her own eyes flicked to meet his. Not saying a word, the weapons specialist turned and bolted from the room then; ignoring Charlotte's belated protest as the door to Med Bay hissed shut behind her.

"Where does she think _she's _going?" Bones inquired; moving over to stand beside Charlotte as the young woman dragged a hand through her hair.

"She's offering herself up as a bargaining chip" Charlotte replied; not at all surprised that her friend would have thought she could stop Marcus from destroying them all. He was her father, after all…and while it was true that what Carol was trying to do would possibly have worked in a separate scenario; with the way Marcus was out for blood, she wasn't so sure it would work now.

"Well she's hardly a bargaining chip if he can't even touch her" Bones scoffed; shaking his head and moving to stand before Khan once again as he resumed his examination. Too preoccupied in what mysteries the man had to offer…and using those mysteries to distract himself from what could only be their impending demise…the doctor never noticed the way Charlotte's eyes snapped up to meet Khan's over his shoulder…completely missing the dawning comprehension she exhibited as a long suppressed memory fought its way to the surface.

_Chaos. The testing room was complete chaos. What had started as a routine exercise in assessing young cadets had turned to a disaster in an instant. Anyone within the room had been either injured, or killed. And every Starfleet doctor on hand was now rushing about; alternating between saving the lives of those who had survived, and explaining what had happened to the stunned Admiral Marcus as he looked on._

"_Can you do it, Doctor?"_

"_I believe so; Admiral. We are about to admit her to surgery now."_

"_Good. See that what we discussed goes off without a hitch."_

"_Absolutely, Admiral."_

_Turning to head towards the recovery room to await his daughter's arrival; Marcus stopped short, anger bolting through him for a split second as he took in the disheveled and bruised young woman who had stepped in his path._

"_Charlotte. Shouldn't you be under observation?"_

"_I came to…to see about Carol, Admiral."_

"_She's heading to surgery now" Marcus replied; stepping around the young woman before turning back at the last second "You should get yourself looked at, Charlotte. Those cuts are pretty ugly."_

_Marcus began walking away then; but before he could go too far, Pike's daughter had whirled around, making as though she would like to follow after him as she called out "Sir?"_

"_Yes, Charlotte?"_

"_What…what was the 'discussion' you were having with the doctor? Is Carol…will she be alright?"_

"_She's going to be fine" Marcus answered; his voice tight with frustration as he turned one last time to face the young woman who was so determined to avoid following his orders "Go, Charlotte. Go for your exam. I'll tell your father where to find you."_

Blinking in surprise, Charlotte slumped back against the table; shock taking over at how she had chosen _now_ to recall the suspicious way in which Marcus had been acting after the incident that had occurred when she and Carol had taken the Kobayashi Maru. An explosion had gone off near the testing site, catching the room where the cadets were preparing to begin the exam in its path; and injuring several in the process. It had been a day she had always tried to forget…but now, something was telling her that it had to be significant…and she found herself gasping in surprise as everything suddenly clicked into place; fog seeming to lift from her mind so that she was thinking clearly for the first time in what felt like ages.

Marcus…Carol's "operation" in the face of not seeming to be that gravely injured…and now coming to the forefront of Charlotte's mind…

Scotty's discussion with them about how Khan had escaped the jumpship when he attacked headquarters.

"_My God…_" She breathed; straightening from the examination table and locking eyes with Khan once again, the look that passed between them holding more communication than words ever could as she took a few steps backwards, before turning and bolting in the direction that Carol had just taken. Ignoring Bones' restraining hand as she fled past him, she barely hesitated long enough to punch in the code that would open the door out to the hallway; so intent on getting to Carol in time to warn her about the extreme likelihood that Marcus would be able to beam her over to _his_ ship, that she never noticed the almost imperceptible twitch Khan made, as though he wished to follow her.

Only Bones was aware of the way the fugitive's eyes seemed to darken in that moment…a promise of protection rising to the surface for the briefest of seconds, before the blue orbs returned to their usual cold façade.

…..

Reaching the door that led to the bridge, Charlotte forced her uneasiness aside; doing her best to ignore the way the thought of confronting Marcus was tempting her to run the other way as she waited the obligatory few seconds before the door hissed open so that she could rush inside. The attacks that had bombarded them since not long after entering warp seemed to have ceased…she had been able to make the last portion of the journey to the bridge without being tossed about the hallway like a rag doll…but before she fully had a chance to orient herself to her surroundings, Charlotte was forced to come to a stop; her eyes falling to the screen holding Marcus' image as he spoke.

"Actually, Carol…I won't."

Having next to no time to contemplate what those words were in response to, Charlotte found herself instinctively stepping forward as familiar golden haloes began surrounding Carol; causing the blonde to let out a scream, before she turned and ran towards the spot where Charlotte now stood. Powerless to do anything, Charlotte could only watch as her friend disappeared amidst the blinding light; staring at the spot where Carol had once stood in silence for a moment, before Marcus' voice once again reached her ears.

"Ah, Charlotte. I had wondered when I would see you again. It seems we have something to…_discuss_."

Stepping forward so that she stood almost directly in front of the screen; Charlotte ignored Jim's restraining hand, her shoulders going taut as she addressed the Admiral.

"There is nothing I have to say to _you_."

"Come now, Charlotte…" Marcus protested; clearly trying to win her over as he went on "After everything I've done for you; is this _really_ how you repay me?"

"If you're referring to planning my father's _murder_ as a favor…"

"Char…"

"No, Jim" Charlotte interrupted; holding out her hand to stop Kirk from dragging her back towards him in an attempt to shield her "I'm not going to hide from the truth anymore."

"I would hardly call the words of John Harrison the _truth_" Marcus cut in; eyes locking on Charlotte and ignoring the others as she once again shrugged away from Kirk and stepped still closer, her voice taking on an uncharacteristic ferocity as she spoke.

"And I would hardly trust a man who used someone's _family_ as bait to hold any position of power."

"You seem to forget who it was that is _truly_ responsible for your father's death; Charlotte" Marcus argued; his voice rising in anger "Harrison killed him. Not me."

"I won't _ever_ forget that, Admiral" Charlotte replied; shifting slightly on her feet before going on "But even if he hadn't, you would have; wouldn't you?"

"I don't take your meaning."

"I know what my father found on you. You were planning on unleashing a war; catching everyone under your command in the crossfire, and for what? More power? To see yourself become a legend?"

"Who told you this? _Khan_?" Marcus demanded; running a hand over his forehead in chagrin at the young woman's defiance "He's played you just as much as he did Kirk."

"You put a beaming device in your own _daughter_! So that you could always have an opportunity of getting her away from people who were doing the right thing; before you decimated them for standing against you!" Charlotte exclaimed; her entire body shaking with the weight of knowing that everything she once believed was lost. The memory she had seen earlier made sense now, especially given what she had just witnessed. And she found herself only barely keeping her voice level in spite of her anger as she went on:

"You _knew_ she would ultimately choose the right side, didn't you? You knew she would never fall for your manipulation like everyone else did. So you tell me, Admiral…who's played who?"

"Charlotte, you mistake me for a far simpler man if you think that was the only reason for my actions…" Marcus replied; clearly shoving aside all pretense of denying the young woman's claims against him, and leaning forward in the chair he occupied as his hand shifted minutely off the screen "My daughter is not the only one I can find when I want to."

Before the meaning of his words could fully sink in; Charlotte felt a startling twinge from somewhere in her abdomen, a low gasp escaping her as the same golden lights that had taken Carol from them began winding around her own body. Eyes flitting to Marcus' for a split second; the young woman finally failed in keeping her fear and confusion hidden, her eyes going wide as she whirled around to face the others, before everything faded to black.

"_Jim_…"

….

**Egad! Finally, a new chapter! This one took a bit longer to come up with, given that I was trying to juggle rotation and thinking of ideas…but hopefully since it's a little longer, it'll make up for the delay?**

**Before I lose track and ramble off on you, I wanted to take a moment to thank CynthiaSylar for going over the ideas for this chapter with me and making sure that everything made sense! It was a hell of a lot of fun plotting with you, darling! And I can't wait to continue on in that fashion!**

**Next, I realize I've sort of jumped away from strict canon again…what can I say, I have a nack for doing that. (wink wink). But I hope you could all follow what the plan was here…basically, to make a long story short, I had way too much fun between the Khan drama, and Marcus being evil. So I hope it's all plausible and enjoyable!**

**That being said, I cannot wait to hear what you think about this chapter! Hopefully it met up with everyone's expectations! Thank you all so VERY much for your patience, and for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing! Many hugs and kisses for each and every one of you!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	11. Holding On

"Charlotte?"

"Yes…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be" Charlotte replied; squinting around at the darkened room she now occupied with Marcus' daughter as she forced herself to rise slowly to her feet "You had no way of knowing that he would…that he would do this."

"I should have suspected _something_" Carol argued; tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind one ear, before dropping her hand forlornly at her side "He had been acting strangely for a while but I never really thought…"

Closing the distance between them, and taking Carol's hand in her own; Charlotte squeezed gently, doing her best to give the Admiral's daughter an encouraging look despite the hollow pit of dread that had formed in her stomach as she spoke.

"How about we focus on finding a way out of here? Did you ever see blueprints…_anything_ that might tell you the layout of this ship?"

"Just the blueprints, and that was only one time by mistake" Carol replied; pinching the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger as she elaborated "If we can get to one of the main halls, I think I can get us to the hangar easily enough. From there we could try and get a craft to take us back to the Enterprise…"

Charlotte was about to suggest that they begin an attempt at doing just that, when a door snapped open to her left; two hulking figures crossing the threshold one behind the other. Before either woman could react, the men…private security, it seemed…had grabbed them; the larger one yanking Charlotte's arm out and causing a yelp to tear itself from her throat as her shoulder gave a small pop at the sudden movement. A silver-tipped needle punctured the skin of her arm in seconds; her attempt at yanking her arm away from the device only serving to encourage her assailant to tighten his grip on her wrist as he pushed the plunger down.

"Admiral's orders" He ground out; flicking a leer her way before tossing the needle to the side and tugging her so that she stood before him "Move."

Caught off guard by whatever she had just been injected with, the young woman spared one glance for Carol; the welling fear she felt reflecting in her crewmate's eyes before she was roughly shoved forward, and forced to walk towards the door. Something told her that to fight this man would be a poor decision…and so she settled for making the walking process as difficult as she dared; her voice tight as she inquired:

"Where are you taking us?"

"To the bridge" The man replied; pausing so that his comrade who held Carol in equal captivity stood before the door to open it "Admiral Marcus seems to think there's more he can learn from you."

"And what would _that_ be?" Charlotte asked; her cold tone belying the jolt of apprehension she felt as she was forced down the hallway, behind Carol and the man who held her.

"Not my place to ask questions" The man said; turning them down yet another hallway behind his comrade "_Walk_."

…

Fear. Such a mediocre emotion. At least, it was to someone who had never been given a reason to experience it. As an Augment, Khan Noonien Singh was never in a position to fear anything, or anyone. Being better than all others rendered such a thing purely unnecessary. The mark of a weaker man. Certainly not a fitting emotion for the leader of a quarter of the world. But all of the confidence he possessed in the past…all the audacity that had secured his current situation in the midst of Starfleet's best and brightest…all of that fell to the wayside in one second flat when the Captain of the ship uttered four tiny words.

"Admiral Marcus took them."

Khan didn't have to ask who 'they' were. He _knew_. He knew that Kirk was referring to Carol Marcus, and Charlotte. And though he could have persevered in stony silence had it been only the Admiral's daughter in danger…

Charlotte was, inexplicably, a different story altogether. Thinking of _her_ in Marcus' hands…contemplating what the Admiral was likely to do given her father's investigation, and where it was headed…Khan could not fully describe the strange, constricting sensation that was growing in his chest. But he supposed, reluctantly, that fear must have something to do with it.

"Did you really think he wouldn't, Kirk?" Khan inquired; forcing his cold exterior to remain, unwavering; in spite of how his mind was already plotting…envisioning the Admiral, powerless beneath him…screaming…

"I will do _everything_ in my power to make you answer for what you did" Kirk asserted then; his resolve wavering for a fraction of a second, blue eyes showing exactly how much concern he was enduring for the two women of his crew. Of course he stood to lose much, should Marcus succeed. And Khan couldn't help but wonder how far that knowledge would push the young Captain, in the end. What would he be willing to do for those he loved?

"But right now, I need your help."

Ah, so there it was. James Kirk, asking his prisoner for assistance. Driven into desperation by the loss of his friends; he was asking for the help of a man he proclaimed a criminal. A man he would not have hesitated to _kill_ just days before. How interesting…

"In return for what?" Khan demanded, not wanting to give Kirk the satisfaction of knowing that his assent was already given. He had his own motives for getting back aboard the ship he had designed…but they were not for the Captain to know.

"You said you'd do anything for your crew. I can guarantee their safety."

"Captain…" Khan began; almost admiring the young man's grand offer of protection, despite knowing that it was not likely to become a reality any time soon "You can't even guarantee the safety of your _own_ crew." Of course, he intended to agree; promise made, or not. But he didn't want Kirk to know that…he wanted the man who had hunted him into enemy territory to _sweat_.

Kirk stared him down for a moment then; jaw muscles clenching in clear frustration before he switched tactics, his gaze flitting to the doctor who was working over a dead tribble as he said:

"Bones. What are you doing with that tribble?"

"The tribble is dead" McCoy replied; adjusting the light above his work station as he went on "I'm injecting Khan's platelets into the deceased tissue of the necrotic host. His cells regenerate like nothing I've ever seen; and I wanna know why."

The Captain met Khan's eyes once more seconds after the doctor's reply; almost seeming to be at war with himself over this course he wished to take, before he squared his shoulders, determination and bravado rising to the surface as he made his final offer.

"So you coming with me, or what?"

…

Had she been under less threatening circumstances, Charlotte would have taken the time to marvel at the sheer vastness of the ship's design as she was forced through its halls and to the bridge. If she weren't about to be placed directly before Admiral Marcus in the flesh, she might have wished to explore the vessel in earnest; comparing and contrasting it with the Enterprise…ascertaining if Khan's engineering prowess really _was_ better than that of Starfleet's top designers. But she was not under those circumstances…she was being walked onto the bridge of the USS Vengeance. Ironically named, she was sure, by its creator.

This was not the time for idle comparisons.

Coming to a stop brought about by a sharp tug on her arm from the man escorting her; Charlotte spared a brief glance to her surroundings, her eyes soon landing on Admiral Marcus as he took in the sight of his daughter and her colleague before him.

"Commander Pike. Welcome aboard."

"Admiral." Charlotte's words were tight. Short. Geared to hide the confusion and anxiety she felt as the Admiral's eyes raked over her for a flash of a second; before he gestured towards the chair beside him.

"Please. Sit."

"Why would I do that, sir?" Charlotte inquired; an eyebrow raising slightly as she awaited Marcus' reply.

"I'm going to ask you some questions. I thought you might be a bit more…_comfortable_…sitting."

"Fine where I am; sir."

"Well alright then" Marcus assented; getting up and walking around the control panel towards Charlotte "I suppose we start with the easy questions first. Where are Khan's torpedoes?"

As he addressed her, Marcus had stepped over so that he was barely half a foot in front of her…she could practically feel the power lust radiating off of him. A sensation that was haunting and frightening, to say the least. In spite of that, though; Charlotte remained silent, wetting her lower lip with her tongue as the Admiral took yet another step towards her as he spoke.

"_Charlotte_…you cannot be thinking of protecting him?"

Clamping her mouth shut, Charlotte refused to break her silence; her eyes meeting the harsh steel of Marcus' in blatant defiance. A faint rush of satisfaction pulsed through her as she took note of how his hand clenched into a fist for a fraction of a second; only to be replaced by shock as he closed the remaining distance between the two of them, his hand coming down on her shoulder with such a force that she was knocked off balance, and into the front of the control panel.

"What do you think you are fighting for?" He demanded; his fingers digging into her skin as he caged her in between his body and the cool metal of the panel at her back, ignoring his daughter's cry of protest as he pressed on "Whose life would you rather save? That of a _monster_? Or one of your own people?"

Opening her mouth to reply, Charlotte paused; blinking in surprise against the sudden tremor that stole through her body. She might have been able to pass it off as a simple flare of nerves…but the grim satisfaction spreading over Marcus' face as he watched her freeze on the spot told her otherwise; bringing a faint pulse of anxiety to the surface as he addressed her again.

"Give me the torpedoes, Charlotte" He said; leaning closer to her and allowing his hand to trail from her shoulder down to her wrist, squeezing at the bandage that was still wrapped around it and causing her to wince slightly "What more do you have left to lose?"

Choosing to mimic his choice of words from earlier, when she had still been aboard the Enterprise; Charlotte settled her expression into a cool mask as she spoke.

"I don't take your meaning; sir."

"I mean, that you maintain a foolish amount of honor; in the face of not really needing to worry about the consequences of your actions."

"Sir?"

"What did you _think_ was in that syringe; Charlotte?" Marcus questioned; watching the young woman's reaction keenly, and allowing a hint of a smile to tug at his lips as he caught her eyes widening as she likely recalled what had happened just prior to being brought before him "By the time Khan could seek retribution for your betrayal; he'd find himself conveniently unable to touch you."

Marcus took a step away from her then; releasing her from his grip, and watching as she staggered slightly, her uninjured hand snapping out to latch onto the control panel as she leveled a questioning gaze his way. Before she could put words to her thoughts, however; his daughter was speaking up, her voice subdued…fearful…as she said:

"Dad…what did you do?"

"I simply made it a little bit easier for her to be able to tell the truth" Marcus replied; ignoring the stunned and disgusted look Carol was giving him as he returned his attention to the woman before him "Khan cannot _touch_ you, Charlotte. What you were injected with will wipe through your system in little more than an hour. It was originally designed for Augments, of course…for the day when your prisoner became a bit too tedious, and the threat to his crew no longer held sway over him. But now I see it can be used for a much better purpose. So tell me…_where…are…the…torpedoes_?"

Frozen for a moment, Charlotte let what she had just heard sink in; potent fear mixing with the lingering defiance she felt towards the Admiral as she felt yet another tremor wrack her body. So it was real. It wasn't fear…it wasn't a figment of her imagination. Something was actually _wrong_. If Marcus was to be believed…and the look of sheer horror on his daughter's face told Charlotte that he was…she was _dying_. She had never really given much thought to her own mortality before…likely due to the magnitude of time she spent around Jim Kirk…and, for one moment that seemed to last an eternity, she almost let the primal fear of death that everyone must feel when confronted with similar circumstances overwhelm her. In spite of that fear, however…and almost seeming to over-ride it…something more instinctual seemed reluctant to allow her to give up entirely. Almost as though a part of her wished that, if she were to die, she could go out knowing she had given the traitor before her as much hell as she could muster.

Something she was sure would have made her father proud. Something that would have ensured his research…his own death…would not have been in vain.

"Wise of you to take steps in ensuring I would not be able to suffer at Khan's hands for my actions; Admiral" She began then; her voice hushed…laced with a sense of sardonic humor…as she added "But you seem to have forgotten that, if the virus is as potent as you say, there really isn't all that much I can suffer from _your_ hands; either."

"We have an _hour_, Charlotte. I'm sure I can think of something."

As he spoke, the Admiral once again drew nearer to her; something akin to pride flaring to life as he noted the brief flicker of fear in her eyes as he backed her into the control panel once again.

"You won't hold out forever, you know. This…_virus_…will eventually make you too weak to stand. You will lose…_everything. _Sight. Strength. You will be too weak to resist. Eager to give in. To _beg_ for death."

"You'd be surprised, Admiral, at how much I would give to withhold what you want from you…"

"Charlotte…" Marcus hissed; snapping his hand up to her throat and curling his fingers around her neck, before applying pressure against her skin "Unlike your precious fugitive; _you_ are entirely breakable. What I could not do to Khan, I _can_ do to you…"

"Dad!" Carol broke in then; struggling against the hold of the man pinning her to him as she pleaded with her father to see reason "Is this how you would treat the daughter of one of your friends?"

"That _friend_ was in the midst of taking steps to betray everything I had worked for" Marcus intoned; tightening his hold on Charlotte's throat minutely as he elaborated "Steps his _daughter_...had prepared to take up."

"But Charlotte had nothing to do with it…"

Returning his gaze to the woman he now held; Marcus shook his head in mock solemnity, leering down at her as he spoke.

"Except that isn't true, now; _is_ it Charlotte?"

Blinking against the stars popping in her vision from the pressure of Marcus' hand on her throat; Charlotte instinctively latched her uninjured hand on his wrist, trying in vain to pull his fingers away from her as yet another tremor shook her from top to bottom. The Admiral clearly felt it…the glint in his eyes growing ever brighter as he slowly released her throat; the same hand that had tried to choke her swinging forward to connect with her cheek as he began to turn away, oblivious to how she had fallen to the ground from the unexpected contact.

"Perhaps watching your own crew die will convince you that stubborn bravery is not always the best option" Marcus ground out; pressing a few buttons on the console as he addressed the crewmember to his left "Lock phasers on the Enterprise."

Fighting to gain control over her breathing, Charlotte moved to stand; panic welling up at the way her arms were shaking as she brought herself up to her knees. She couldn't let Marcus destroy her family…Khan's family…the ship that was like her home. The last place where she could remember a _happy_ memory of her father. But before she had a chance to attempt anything to stop him, the same crewman he had ordered to fire on the Enterprise was speaking up again; saying:

"Weapons offline; Sir. Someone in Engineering just manually reset our systems."

"What do you mean _someone_? Who!"

"Working on finding that out now; Sir."

"Take her back to the brig" Marcus ordered then; gesturing to Charlotte as she finally hauled herself to her feet, and turning his attention to the men beside him as he began directing them to action. One of the men broke off from the rest as instructed; and Charlotte had to resist the urge to let out a small yelp of pain as he yanked her towards him, ushering her towards the door exiting the bridge at a brisk pace, and ignoring her stumbles as she attempted to keep up with him.

"Wait…wait, can we…" Charlotte gasped; pulling back against the man as he dragged her along, and letting out a small noise of displeasure as he ignored her efforts while she spoke again "Can we just…slow down?"

A grunt of disdain was the only response she received from him…and she dug her heels into the floor then; using the opportunity presented by the man's brief pause to kick out at the back of his knee before he could turn to reprimand her for delaying their course. Watching as he crumpled reflexively to the ground; Charlotte quickly snatched the phaser from his startled hand, switching the settings to 'stun' and firing.

A brief moment passed where Charlotte could do nothing but watch in stunned silence as the man slumped to the ground in an instant; eyes rolling into the back of his head, and forcing her to look away as a rush of nausea took over. Placing the back of her hand to her mouth, she hurriedly stepped around the fallen crewmember of Marcus' ship; willing herself to push forward, phaser still drawn as she headed back the way in which they had used to arrive on the bridge. She had to find whoever it was that had disabled Marcus' weapons...sooner rather than later. Of course she had no way of knowing who this person was. But perhaps they would help her disable the ship long enough for her own crew to get to Earth safely…

Slowing as she approached the corner of a hallway that intersected the one she currently occupied, Charlotte paused; listening carefully for sounds of someone that might be approaching her location. Her ears were met with nothing but silence as she waited; and shoving off the most recent bout of vertigo that had chosen to assault her, she pressed forward towards what could only be the location of the hangar. For all that she had seen, this ship seemed to be almost identical to the Enterprise in design; only bigger…and she was banking on that fact becoming a reality as she continued rushing silently down the hall, heart hammering in her ears as she forced herself to remain aware of her surroundings. Whatever it was that Marcus had given her, it seemed to be slowly taking effect; and she found herself continually fighting off panic as she moved along the darkened hallway, her fear of what was to come clashing with her need to do _something_ to get back at the man who was responsible for causing her so much pain.

She couldn't let Marcus win this…not without at least trying something to stall him from taking the rest of what she loved from her…not without at least giving some effort towards making sure that justice was done properly; instead of allowing the Admiral's own twisted definition of the word win out.

Stopping just before yet another intersection in the passageways of the ship; Charlotte bit her lower lip, allowing the hand holding the phaser to fall to her side as she thought. If she were on the Enterprise, the hangar would be to her left; either this, or the next passage leading directly to it. If she were to take that passage and reach her destination; she might be able to intercept whoever it was that had disabled Marcus' weapons, assuming they had gone for the logical option after their act of treason, and chosen to flee the ship. But if she was wrong…if this ship was _not_ like the Enterprise on a grander scale…

Then she might spend whatever time she had left simply wandering; powerless to help her crew. Her _family_.

Shaking herself, and forcing such thoughts aside; the young woman closed her eyes momentarily, pondering her next move for a fraction of a second before she came to a decision. She would take the familiar path, as though she were back on her own ship. And if she came to the conclusion that she was incorrect…she would simply have to come up with an alternative plan.

Taking the hallway to the left, Charlotte picked up the pace as much as she dared; a worried crease forming on her forehead as she noted how her body seemed to protest the increase in speed. It almost felt as if she were running up a steep incline, in spite of the fact that she was clearly on a flat surface; each intake of breath causing her lungs to feel as though they were on fire as she forced herself onward. It had to be the virus, causing the feeling…causing her vision to blur for only seconds as she turned down a curve in the passageway and noticed with relief that the door ahead did indeed seem to lead towards the hangar…and as she finally permitted herself to slow down, she walked towards the door in question; phaser once again rising up in front of her body as a voice echoed through the door towards her location.

"It's not easy, alright! Just give me two seconds; ya mad bastard!"

_Scotty? _

"Oh good, now I'm hearing things" Charlotte muttered to herself; not willing to believe the yeoman had gotten himself aboard an enemy ship. It wasn't possible. It _couldn't_ be possible. Not when he had remained on Earth, while they were en route to Khan…

Forcing her worry over yet another potential viral symptom to the side, Charlotte finally neared the door to the hangar; pausing just a moment as it slid open, before stepping inside and looking around. Lights were flashing…blaring around the hangar in a pattern akin to strobe lights at a night club…and she narrowed her eyes against the glare, and the ensuing blurred vision that followed; stepping forward slowly as she caught sight of something she did not expect.

"Scotty!" She exclaimed; relief and confusion mixing in equal measure as she saw that the engineer's presence aboard Marcus' ship was very real "How in the hell…"

"Lass? Charlotte?"

"Yes, Scotty; it's me" Charlotte answered; tucking the phaser behind her back and stepping into the light as she approached the yeoman, who appeared to be standing beside some sort of console…perhaps a manual override system…

"How in the Holy Father's name did ye get here; lass?"

"Long story" The young woman answered; offering the man before her a faint smile in an attempt to mask the way her knees had just buckled for a moment as she went on "What is it you're trying to do here?"

"Yer Captain seems to think he can come aboard the ship and remove the threat to the Enterprise" Scotty explained; his own doubts clearly showing on his features as he elaborated "He, and some other fella I've never spoken with before are gonna try and take the ship."

Surprise at the mention of the other man who was preparing to board Marcus' ship paralyzed Charlotte for a moment then; but she quickly shook her head, bringing her focus back to the Scotsman before her as she spoke.

"What do they need us to do?"

"This" Scotty replied; stooping over the console and pressing an array of buttons simultaneously, leaving Charlotte to stand watch beside him. She was, of course, curious as to what it was he was doing…but that curiosity was soon overwhelmed by a wave of nausea so sudden that she was forced to snap her hand out to latch onto the edge of the console to ground herself.

"You okay, lass?"

Only able to manage a nod; Charlotte did her best to ignore the brief flash of concern she saw in the engineer's eyes, before his attention was diverted back to the task at hand as he reached for his comm.

"Okay, I'm set to open the door" He said; looking down at the console even as he addressed Charlotte "Lass, you're gonna want to get something to hold yourself down."

Nodding curtly, the young woman stepped off in search of something…anything…that would serve to keep her in the hangar once that door opened; but before she could move too far away from the engineer as he was securing his arm to the console, a man approached them with phaser drawn.

"Don't move. Either one of you."

Freezing in place as she watched Scotty straighten and turn to face the guard; Charlotte scrambled for an idea to get them out of this, her fingers twitching towards the phaser at her back as she heard the guard ask:

"What are you doing here?"

"Wee bit o' maintenance on the…airlock console" Scotty answered; slowly backing away from the man threatening him as he attempted to switch topics "You're big."

Not impressed, the crewman maintained his aim directly at the Scotsman's chest; eyes flicking down as the comm Scotty had allowed to clatter to the floor sent a female voice…Uhura's?...echoing faintly up to them.

"What is that?" The guard demanded; eyes flicking from Scotty to Charlotte as the engineer answered with a question of his own.

"Are you Starfleet; or private security?"

"Show me your hand…"

"Cause you look like private security."

"Of course he's private security, Scotty" Charlotte spoke then; stepping forward with phaser drawn and leveled at the man's chest in a last ditch effort to distract him "We're aboard a ship that technically doesn't exist on record. He can't be Starfleet…at least not in an official capacity."

"Lower your weapon, or he dies" The guard said then; retraining his phaser on Scotty in an attempt to dissuade Charlotte as she continued to walk, slowly, towards him. For a brief moment, Charlotte found herself extraordinarily grateful that she couldn't see the look on the engineer's face…thankful that she couldn't see the fear in his eyes as she continued her relentless approach forward; shaking her head slightly as she spoke with much more courage than she felt.

"Maybe he dies; maybe he doesn't. But I can say one thing for certain. I…won't…miss."

Finally closing the distance between herself and Scotty, Charlotte managed a tight grin at the man whose phaser was now locked solely on her; shifting her own weapon to her left hand as her right slowly snaked down to latch onto the opposite side of the console. Now that she was nearer, she could clearly hear Spock's voice; counting down over the comm…and she did her best to grab a tight hold of the edge of the console facing her; never once wavering in her aim as the guard said:

"The person counting down…what is that?"

"I think you're hearing things; mate" Scotty said; sparing a fraction of a second to cast a glance back towards Charlotte as he continued "I'm sorry about this…"

"Sorry about what?"

In lieu of a verbal reply, Scotty simply whirled around; slamming his hand down on the button that would open the airlock as his grip tightened on the line of hose that was keeping him rooted in place. The doors to the hangar opened in an instant…and the startled guard found himself sucked out into the vastness of space as both the engineer, and Charlotte lost their footing. For his part, the hose held the Scotsman well enough, even though he was swinging towards the door like a flag caught in the wind. But as hard as she tried to hold on, Charlotte found herself succumbing to rising panic as her fingers continued to slip on the console…as the strength in her arm gave out…

Until she, too, was being sucked out into space…

…

**Well hello there! Welcome to another chapter! Once again I have to thank each and every one of you, not only for your patience in waiting for my updates; but also for your kind words of encouragement! It really does make me feel so happy reading your reviews…so I just wanted you to know that if I could, I would give every one of you a gigantic hug for making my day every single time I post!**

**Just like last time, I have to thank CynthiaSylar in a HUGE way for listening to all of my ideas and helping me sort through them! Hope this chapter turned out well for you, darling! And special thanks also to Dasiygirl95. Without her constant encouragement, I swear I'd never have had the guts to begin this story in the first place!**

**As per usual, this is me opening the floor to your reviews on what I've done with this chap! I would say I'm sorry for another cliffy…but…well…I don't like to lie (wink wink). I can't wait to hear your thoughts! And thank you SO MUCH for reading!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	12. Too Little, Too Late

It was strange. Hurtling through space at top speed; and yet feeling as though he was frozen in time, powerless to do anything about his current situation. For someone like Khan, such a notion was entirely infuriating. He was not one to acknowledge a sense of inferiority. But he could do nothing else _but_ feel helpless now. Helpless to control his destiny, and that of his crew. Helpless to bring an end to the abomination that was Marcus without the aid of someone like Kirk. And helpless to explain why the image of quite possibly the most stubbornly determined _human_ he had ever come to know in the grip of the one who had manipulated him so thoroughly overwhelmed him with a need to rip Marcus limb from limb…

Charlotte Pike meant nothing to him. She was frail…human…_weak_. But in spite of her human limitations, she had confronted him head on from the start. She had known, on some level, even before realizing for certain what he was; that he was a very real threat to her. And yet she had come face to face with him; with no barrier between them. Nothing to protect her from what stood to happen if he lost control for one _second_. And she had barely batted an eyelash. An enigma, to be sure.

An enigma he found himself inexplicably determined to figure out.

Forcing thoughts of Pike's daughter to the back of his mind, the Augment returned his attention to the debris-littered vastness surrounding him; taking the lead from Kirk when the Captain's display gave out, as the two of them flew ever closer to the hangar door. Kirk had a man on the inside, or so the story went…and Khan found himself biting back a stab of amused chagrin as he came to terms with how he was depending on yet another human for access to something he wanted.

That would be changing, _very_ soon.

At the last possible second, the hangar door _did_ manage to fly open…but the Augment's relief that he had actually made it aboard the ship he had worked so tirelessly to design was short lived; alarm and instinct taking over quickly as a familiar figure flew towards him. Almost without thinking, Khan grabbed the figure's arm before they could leave the hangar entirely; only just managing to adjust his position such that they would not be crushed beneath his weight as the door leading out into space shut completely, forcing him to the hard floor below.

A faint gasp from the woman he was holding loosely as they tumbled to a stop before the console brought a crease to his brow then; his hands automatically going to steady her as they finally rolled to a stop, and she landed, splayed on top of his body. Apprehension stole through him as he felt her body trembling against him…but before he could voice his concern, she was rolling to the side away from him; and standing, albeit shakily, as Kirk interrupted the silence.

"Charlotte?"

"Hey Jim" Charlotte replied; blinking a few times as she finally steadied herself on her feet. Her voice was quieter then, than Khan had ever heard it before…sounding almost broken as she flicked her eyes from Jim's, to the ground at her feet. Khan watched her shift on her feet for a moment, almost as though she were frightened of something; but before he could make any further observation on the matter, Kirk was speaking again, saying:

"Char, are you alright? You're shaking."

"I'm fine, Jim. Just a little…a little shocked; is all" She replied, bringing a hand up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear; and flinching as she heard her friend's audible gasp. Her movement had exposed the skin at the side of her neck…and the Augment felt his hand instinctively curling into a fist as Kirk exclaimed:

"What…the _hell_…is that?"

The pale ivory of her skin had taken on a dull brown hue in spots…spots that, on further inspection, took on the all too haunting appearance of fingers…a hand, curled around the throat. And try though she might to cover the mark with her own hand as her eyes belied the frantic rush of nervousness that coursed through her; it was too late. The mark had been seen.

"Charlotte, answer me" Jim demanded; stepping forward and latching onto his friend's hand as he tried to get her to look him in the eye "What happened to you?"

For her part, the young woman remained speechless; tugging her hand away from Kirk's as she took a step back. Khan could tell that she was hesitant…unwilling to disclose whatever it was that had happened…and he found himself barely managing to resist the urge to force the truth out of her in an attempt to waylay the rapidly building sense of fury he could feel trying to take over as he met the Captain's eyes.

The anger and concern in them mirrored his own.

"Lass…was it one of the guards?" The engineer…Scotty…inquired; startling Khan, who had all but forgotten about his presence as he took a step closer to his crewmate. Seeming unable to speak, Charlotte merely shook her head in the negative then; and the Augment had to turn away from her to avoid doing something that would likely frighten her further. He knew the one responsible for the bruises around her throat. Perhaps he had known it all along.

_Marcus_. He was going to make him pay…

"Marcus?" Kirk exclaimed; his tone affronted as he turned from his friend and tore a hand through his hair in frustration "Why in the hell…"

"Why?" The word came out as more of a demand for information than an actual question...and Khan turned back towards Charlotte in an instant; closing the distance between them and grabbing onto her arm with a bit more vehemence than he had originally intended, the flinch she gave off as she tried to pull away forcing him to loosen his grip slightly as he spoke again.

"Why did you let him do this?"

His voice was little more than a hoarse whisper, but the words had the intended effect; the astonishment and dismay that flooded Charlotte's features sating the Augment's desire to get a rise out of her…to force her to action…as she tried in vain to pull away from him again.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kirk demanded then; stepping forward to the aid of his friend, only to find himself halted by Khan's other hand resting firmly on his shoulder as the Augment continued to observe the young girl before him as she finally spoke up.

"Because, of the two options presented to me; this one seemed more…favorable."

Releasing her hand, Khan stared down at her; unable to comprehend her meaning, and yet unable to inquire further as Kirk leveled a withering glare his way before cutting in.

"What _option_ could have possibly been worse than this?" He asked; shifting his body so that it was as close to blocking Charlotte from Khan as it could be.

"It doesn't matter…"

"For God's sake, Charlotte; yes it does! What else did that monster do to you?"

"N-nothing" She stammered; casting her eyes from Khan, to Kirk, before going on "Jim I don't have…_we_ don't have time for this."

Head snapping towards her, Khan caught her gaze; noting the fear mingled with something else…_resolve_…in her eyes, and doing his best to ignore how that look shot a cold bolt of dread straight to his stomach. Something was wrong. She had been about to say something other than the words that had ended up leaving her mouth…but she caught herself. Why? What was going on?

Shaking himself back to the present, Khan moved a fraction of an inch towards Kirk; taking the first steps at removing the spacesuit they had donned for the journey over to this ship as he addressed the Captain. As much as he felt an inexplicable desire to get to the bottom of what had really happened to Charlotte; he knew they had to move…_now_.

"They'll know we're here" He said then; noting the Captain flinch in surprise at the shift in conversation even though his eyes remained locked with the unusually cloudy green of Charlotte's "I know the best way to the bridge."

Offering the Augment a curt nod; Kirk began the effort of removing his own suit, his concern practically radiating from him as he said:

"We only brought three phasers…"

Reaching behind her back, the young woman drew out the weapon she had taken from the guard she had stunned; holding it out so that Kirk could see as she replied "Won't need one."

"Where did ye get _that_, lass?" Scotty inquired; bemused astonishment coloring his tone at the weapon that had been, until recently, concealed from him.

"There was a guard…"

"_Was_?" Kirk inquired; eyebrows raised as he waited for an answer. There was something not quite right about how his friend was acting…but before he could make any form of comment on the matter; she was answering him, saying:

"He may or may not have gotten himself stunned."

Shaking his head in amusement at the non-chalant reply Charlotte had given him, Jim adjusted the settings on his own phaser; looking to the Augment as he handed him a weapon of his own, and said:

"It's locked to stun."

"Theirs won't be" Khan replied; reluctantly resisting the urge he felt to switch settings to 'kill' as he leveled a skeptical look at the Captain beside him.

"Then try not to get shot" Kirk said; watching for a moment as Khan headed off in the direction of the bridge, with Charlotte following close behind. Risking a glance at Scotty, the Captain noted some of the same apprehension and uncertainty in the engineer's eyes that was in his own…but he quickly forced those feelings aside, and hurried off behind his former prisoner. Though it pained him, on some level, to be taking direction from someone like Khan; he'd be damned if he let his stubborn pride allow Charlotte to spend one more minute alone with the dangerous man.

For all his faults, blatant stupidity was _not_ one of them.

…

Walking just behind Khan, Charlotte did her best to keep her nerves under control; knowing full well that the man in front of her would likely be able to pick up on the slightest hitch in her façade. Even though she had endured Marcus' violence in an effort to protect his crew; something in her hesitated to disclose that very fact to him…and so she remained silent, phaser drawn and lowered to her side as she followed the Augment down the dark hallway she had previously traversed.

He walked with a cold sense of purpose. A fact that served both to entice, and terrify her as she followed silently behind him. The man was sheer power. Harsh…unwavering…and though her stomach churned at the thought if she dwelled too long upon it; she could hardly find herself completely opposed to what she highly suspected he was planning. For the crimes committed against his people, Khan would want Marcus to pay the highest possible price. His life. And though she was by no means a well-versed killer, Charlotte was unable to deny the thrill that coursed through her as she contemplated the Augment's plan. Marcus had betrayed Starfleet. He had betrayed her _father_. He would have killed him, had the disaster at Daystrom not beaten him to it.

He deserved this…

As she had been lost in thought, they had come to the hallway she had taken from the bridge; her mind so distracted by everything that was happening that she bumped into Khan as he turned to the right, staggering back a bit as a bolt of pain erupted from where their bodies had collided. The magnitude of the pain was much greater in comparison to the impact of their momentary connection…and it was for that reason that Charlotte allowed an involuntary gasp to escape as her hand instinctively went to her stomach.

It felt as though the beginnings of a fire had been kindled there…and she only barely managed to hide her shock as she felt Khan's hand circling around her wrist yet again as he said:

"What is it?"

"It…it's nothing" She said; perhaps a bit too quickly, her eyes flying wide as she took in the look of blatant disbelief in the Augment's eyes as Jim interjected from beside her after coming to a stop.

"I thought we were supposed to keep moving…"

Flinching under the intensity of Khan's gaze, Charlotte found herself letting out a sigh of relief when he released her and continued down the hall; her mind remaining lucid for long enough to offer Jim an encouraging nod before she allowed herself the luxury of trying to analyze the source of her pain. She knew it was the virus…and it was extraordinarily difficult to avoid succumbing to the flare of panic fighting to claw its way to the surface as she realized the progression of symptoms could mean only one thing.

She was running out of time.

Shaking herself, the young woman forced her mind back to the present as she followed closely behind Khan; doing her best to ignore the flares of what could only be described as flames fanning out from her stomach, and traversing towards the periphery of her body. Marcus had said she would succumb to pain…_agony_…before the end. But she knew then and there, that she would fight like hell to stay standing as long as she could.

Khan's crew…her _father_…deserved that much.

"They're gonna have full power; and we're _walking_?" Scotty exclaimed then; jolting Charlotte's attention back to the present with his inquiry.

"The turbo-lifts are easily locked, and Marcus would have us in a cage" Khan began; speeding up to an easy jog, and forcing Charlotte and the others to do the same to keep up "This path runs adjacent to the engine room. They know they won't be able to use their weapons here without destabilizing the warp core; which gives _us_ the advantage."

Trying in vain to coerce her thoughts into keeping up with what was going on, Charlotte could only watch the Augment with something akin to incredulity as he punched in a number of buttons on the console to his left, before he hurried off down the path once again. Allowing an irritated huff to escape at the way her body sluggishly came to terms with the fact that they had to move at a faster pace; the young woman forced herself forward, the hand that was not holding her phaser rising instinctively to her abdomen again as Scotty spoke from behind her.

"Where did ya find this guy?"

"Long story" Kirk replied; jogging after the Augment and his friend, with the engineer following close behind. Concern for Charlotte mingled with apprehension at his continued allowance of Khan to lead them…but he could do nothing about that now. Not if he wanted to avoid bringing unnecessary delay to their task. And all he really cared about, in that moment, was bringing Marcus to justice.

And of course, getting to the bottom of his best friend's sudden odd behavior…

Catching her wince as she turned back to make sure he and Scotty were still following; the Captain made to attempt yet another inquiry as to what was going on, only to find himself forced to remain silent as Scotty was piping up again as they ran.

"Not to tempt fate here, but where _is_ everybody?"

"This ship was designed to be run by minimal crew; one if necessary" Khan explained; turning to look back at the engineer with an almost smug expression, before his attention was diverted as Charlotte spoke up from beside him.

"One? That's impossi-"

Before she could finish her statement, however; the young woman found herself slammed into the wall from the side, her breath leaving her in a rush as she was forced to duck quickly to avoid the fist that was arcing towards her face. Moving to stand upright again as quickly as she could, Charlotte staggered backwards as a wave of dizziness stole over her; her vision clouding for a minute as the man charged her once again. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to improve her sight, she did her best to prepare for impact; her arm that was holding the phaser rising slowly in front of her, only to be rendered unnecessary as her assailant was yanked out of her line of sight. Blinking in surprise, she attempted to ascertain what had happened; only to find herself jolted out of such thoughts as a startled yell from somewhere near where she had last seen Jim alerted her to the crewman who was running straight for her with phaser drawn.

Acting primarily on instinct, she squeezed her finger down on the trigger of her own weapon; a startled gasp escaping as the man who had charged her dropped to the ground mere inches from where she was standing. Glancing around, the young woman took note of how Jim and Scotty were engaged in their own fight against Marcus' crew-mates…and she had just begun to make her way, slowly, to their location to help when she found herself immediately being tugged backwards and into an adjacent hall.

Instinct kicked in then, overwhelming the fatigue and pain she felt as she whirled around; successfully freeing her shoulder from her would-be assailant's grip as her hand simultaneously snapped out to connect with the stranger's face. Before it could meet its intended target, however; Charlotte let out a small cry of surprise as long fingers curled around her wrist…a familiar feeling…

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" She demanded; glaring up at the man who had grabbed her, and attempting to pull her wrist free of his grasp "I was trying to help them!"

"Kirk, and his friend will be fine on their own" Khan replied; never once loosening his hold on the young woman before him, in spite of how she kept trying to pull away "I am more interested in finding out what it is you are hiding."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you _do_, Charlotte…"

"Really."

"Yes" Khan stated simply; tugging Charlotte's wrist so that she was forced to come closer to him as he forced her to meet his eyes "And you are going to tell me what it is."

Blinking up at him, Charlotte swallowed against the ever-growing pulse of fire that seemed to be coursing through her veins; closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself as she spoke, her voice no more than a whisper.

"It doesn't matter now."

Grip tightening minutely around the young woman's wrist, Khan tried to ignore the flare of irritation that ran through him at her stubborn denial; stepping back only a millimeter from her as he tried to keep his voice even…non-threatening.

"Anything that could distract from what we are trying to do _does_ matter" He said; ignoring the flash of something foreign in her eyes as he found himself momentarily caught off-guard by the tremor he felt shaking her through their small connection "Tell me what it is."

"Let me go."

Reluctantly, the Augment complied with her hushed request; noting the moisture clouding her eyes for a fraction of a second before her fingers curled into fists at her sides; the air leaving her lungs in a whoosh before she began.

"Turns out Admiral Marcus doesn't tolerate open denial of his wishes very well."

"Go on."

"He asked a few questions. Questions that I didn't think he needed the answers to."

"Questions about what?" Khan demanded then; stepping closer to Charlotte, but resisting the urge to grab for her again as he waited for her answer. She was being deliberately evasive. And he wanted to know _why_…

Swallowing slowly, Charlotte shifted on her feet; doing her best to avoid letting Khan's closeness unsettle her as she steeled herself for what was to come. He wasn't likely to be pleased that Marcus still wished to use his family against him…but would he react kindly to her stepping in as she had? He was so solitary…so self-assured.

"About…about your crew" Charlotte answered; looking down at the Augment's chest so that she would not have to confront the all too likely fury that would be in his eyes as she elaborated "He wanted the location of the torpedoes. He told me I had nothing…nothing left to lose."

A brief pause ensued upon her revelation; the air growing almost palpably thick with renewed anger…tension…as Khan came to terms with what Charlotte had endured. What she had allowed to happen…the bruises…all in an attempt to deny a man she had once trusted what he wanted the most. Like it or not, her protection on his behalf resonated in his mind like nothing had before…at least, nothing since learning that his crew was, indeed, alive…and the Augment found himself fighting conflicting thoughts as he returned his gaze to Charlotte and spoke softly.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why do you have nothing left to lose?"

Ducking her head down, the young woman shrugged half-heartedly; before trying to dodge around Khan's solid frame as she said:

"It really…isn't important. Listen, we should get back to…"

"We are not going back to them, Charlotte" Khan said; catching hold of her wrist once again and adjusting his stance so that he caged her in between his body and the wall, noting how she was shaking once again as he finished "Why did Marcus say such a thing?"

Fighting frustration at how this was wasting time…time she did not have…Charlotte forced herself to meet Khan's eyes; her heart falling as every thought of telling him to drop this and let her go fell to the wayside. He looked more broken then than she had ever seen him; his expression all but begging her to simply tell the truth. And though every cell in her body was screaming in protest; she finally assented, averting her gaze once again as she conceded.

"Because he thought that, by the time you reached me; I would…I would be too far gone for you to exact your revenge."

"He gave you something…" Khan began; the flatness to his tone indicating that he already had some inclination as to what that 'something' was. The Augment had been made all too aware of the more subtle threat to his crew. The threat that would be harder to save them from.

"A virus" Charlotte supplied; looking to the Augment, her fear written clearly in her eyes in spite of how valiantly she was trying to hide it "One that wasn't…"

"One that was not made for humans."

"_Yes_."

Once again, the Augment found himself fighting that sense of helplessness…of fear…that he had felt briefly while flying towards the ship he now occupied; every muscle in his body seeming to go taut at what he had just unearthed. It should not have mattered to him, that this human…this frail, _weak_ human…had done what she had. It should not have phased him that she would make such a sacrifice. He should have thought that it was her duty. A noble cause. But he didn't…not now. The lifetime's worth of understanding and knowledge that he had gained throughout his existence was rendered useless in a millisecond; as the Augment was forced to come to terms with reality.

As he was forced to come to terms with the fact that what Charlotte had done bothered him more than he cared to admit. He had been accustomed to feeling nothing for lesser humans; his family always taking priority over anything else. If a mere _human_ had died so that his people could live; he would look upon it as a necessary loss. Even a good one. But the way his gut twisted at the thought of Charlotte Pike drawing her last breath haunted him…and it was that fact that forced him back to the present just in time to see her backing away from him, and disappearing around the corner as she went off in search of her crew-mates.

Moving to follow her, the Augment found himself almost possessed with the singular need to not only take Marcus' life; but to make him suffer as much as possible along the way. The Admiral had threatened his crew…his family…and now, he threatened the life of the one human that the Augment had found to be of some worth.

The Admiral would pay…amidst all of the uncertainty that plagued him; Khan could rest assured in the certainty of that. He would see to it.

…

**Phew! A day late, but here it is! The (hopefully) long-awaited next chapter! This pretty much serves as my attempt to follow the timeline of the last part of the movie; while sort of doing a mini-exploration into Khan's thoughts. What I'm trying to go for, here, is how I think he would react if someone were to endure a bit of torture/agony in hopes of keeping his crew safe. That, and sort of getting to the nitty gritty of how he's starting, very faintly, to have feelings for Char that he can't quite comprehend (because this is, after all, a Khan/OC story). So I hope that I did that part justice, while still keeping him in character…I just feel that he would have a hard time coming to terms with potential "feelings" for anyone outside of his crew unless drastic circumstances sort of forced him to it…hence the contents of this chapter.**

**As has been the case for the last few chapters, HUGE thanks goes out to CynthiaSylar for keeping me on track for the most part here; and for always being encouraging in terms of what I'm trying to get across! I know we had originally discussed leaving this on different terms…but I ended where I did because the scene we were discussing has me wanting to elaborate on it a bit. And that might have been difficult if I chose to end the chapter there, instead of including it elsewhere. So I hope this still meets with your expectations!**

**Now, before all my rambling is over (hehe) I have to say thank you to everyone for reviewing, following, reading…doing your thing; and making me so happy to continue writing for you! I can't wait to hear what you think about this one!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	13. Darkness Reigns

Forcing herself through the passageway that would lead her back towards where she had last seen Jim and Scotty, Charlotte stumbled a bit; snapping her arm out to steady herself on the wall to her right as she shook her head minutely. Panic flared through her once again, mingling with the now ever-present fire that was her constant companion; her aggravation at the seemingly relentless progression of Marcus' virus taking over as she felt Khan's presence beside her.

"I'm fine" She said; her voice perhaps a bit harsher than she had intended as she shoved off of the wall before he could make any attempt at a reply, and propelled herself forward. A few more steps, and she would see Jim again. She couldn't afford a moment's weakness.

She had to push through this…

Rounding the corner that led to where Marcus' men had ambushed them, Charlotte caught sight of her crewmates; Jim's eyes automatically flicking to hers in concern as Khan appeared from behind her.

"This way" He ordered; sparing a brief look down at Charlotte, before heading on towards the bridge. For her part, the young woman merely ducked her head down as Jim and Scotty made to follow the Augment's instruction; her entire body tensing as she found her friend's hand coming to rest on her shoulder.

"Stay behind me when we get to the bridge" Jim ordered; fixing her with quite possibly the most serious expression she had ever seen on him as he watched her nod slowly "You gonna be alright?"

"Of course Jim; let's just go."

Turning to head after Khan before her friend could issue any form of reply; Charlotte didn't see the significant look that Kirk gave the engineer, before he followed suit. Khan's time of calling the shots was to come to an end soon; if the Captain had anything to say about it. Then he would be free to take care of Marcus himself. Whatever happened after that was immaterial.

Tagging along behind Charlotte and the Augment, Kirk frowned a bit; the way his friend was seeming to drag herself along, coupled with the faint decrease in her skin tone worrying him as he followed her towards the bridge. Something was certainly off. But he gathered that she wasn't about to disclose whatever it was. Not until they had done what they set out to do. He couldn't help but acknowledge how much her stubborn resolve mirrored that of her father…and he found himself fighting back a pang of sadness as he thought of how much he wished that Pike were here, now, if for no other reason than to give added force to their mission. The late Admiral would have known what to do about Marcus. About his own daughter. And Kirk couldn't help but succumb to regret and sadness as he realized, just as he had aboard the Enterprise prior to requesting Khan's help…

He had no _idea_ what he was doing.

Bright lights flickering on in the corridor as he ran along in silence beside Scotty forced the Captain to attention then; his heart inadvertently skipping a beat as he realized the implications of such an occurrence.

The ship was at full power…

Hurrying to catch up to Khan and Charlotte, Kirk raised his phaser level with his chest; following Khan as he hurried onto the bridge and fired shots at will to disable Marcus' crew. Branching out to the right, Jim moved so that he was in front of Charlotte; noting how her eyes seemed to be going in and out of focus as he trained his weapon on the Admiral, and closed the distance between them.

It was now or never…

…..

Coming to a stop as the last of the crewmen had been shot down; Charlotte blinked against the blurriness in her eyes, training her phaser half-heartedly at Marcus from where she stood as she felt Khan coming to a stop right beside her. A blurred form stepped into her line of sight on her right side not too long after the Augment's arm had brushed against her own…and judging by the fact that she could just barely make out the familiar brown of Jim's hair in front of her, she could only assume the man on her other side was Scotty.

Shaking her head minutely to try and clear her vision, the young woman fought to remain standing as pain and fatigue prickled through her; her breath hitching in her throat as she was forced to snap her eyes shut. Panic seeped through her mind as she tried to calm her nerves long enough to crack one eye open…relief flooding her as the blackness that had covered her sight for a millisecond faded away.

_Hurry, Jim…_

Opening her eyes the rest of the way, Charlotte directed her gaze to Jim; watching as he turned for a brief second and gave Scotty a nod. Her brows furrowed as she attempted to ascertain the meaning behind that nod…

And that was when all hell broke loose.

In seconds, Scotty had turned from his position facing Marcus and Jim; instead shifting to aim his weapon at Khan. The flare of light that erupted from the phaser caused Charlotte to stagger backwards on her feet then; a throbbing pain taking up residence in her temples as the Augment fell to the ground and ceased to move. She barely registered how her own phaser had dropped to her side as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to force the pain away…her mind flitting from astonishment at how it pained her to contemplate Khan lying motionless at her feet; to an almost feral sense of pleasure as she heard Jim begin to speak to Marcus.

"Admiral Marcus, you're under arrest."

"You're not really gonna do this, are you?" The Admiral inquired; his voice scathing in its judgment. Clearly he thought that the young Captain before him was not capable of actually carrying through with his intended actions…something that he would soon discover was far from the truth.

"Admiral. Get out of the chair."

"You'd better stop and think about what you're doing; Kirk" Marcus argued; never once moving from his almost…casual…position sprawled across the Captain's chair as he elaborated "You better think about what you did on Kronos. You made an incursion onto an enemy planet. You killed a Klingon patrol…even if you got away without a trace; _war_ is coming! And who's gonna lead us? _YOU?_"

Flinching at the way the Admiral's voice was steadily growing in volume; Charlotte raised a hand to her temple, squeezing her eyes shut once again as a stabbing pain tore through her skull. Without even realizing it, she had fallen to her knees on the cold floor soon after the pain had assaulted her anew…belated aches sending tremors through her body from her knees, outward as she snapped her free hand out to steady herself on Scotty's leg.

"Lass?"

Unable to speak, Charlotte could only let out a half-hearted attempt at a nod; the act causing her to lose her balance as she swayed on her knees, her heart constricting in her chest as a crippling sense of cold stole over her. Before she could make any attempt to avoid it, her hand had slipped from its place clinging to Scotty's pant leg; her vision going black once again as she felt her side collide with the floor.

"Jim!" Charlotte heard the Engineer's panicked cry, only faintly aware of Marcus' continuing dialogue regarding how he, and he alone, could ensure Starfleet's safety in war time; as she registered Scotty crouching down beside her, and placing a cool hand against her cheek "Lass? Come on, Charlotte. Come on…"

A faint moan was all the young woman could manage as she blinked furiously; trying in vain to restore her sight as pain tore through every nerve ending she possessed. It was all she could do to remain conscious as she felt the fire that had started in her abdomen roaring to life once again as she remained still; her pain warring with panic at how rapidly she had seemed to lose it all. She couldn't fall…not now. She was supposed to be helping Jim…and she found herself almost instinctively attempting to push herself up off the ground in spite of the fact that she could see nothing of her surroundings; her arm giving out before she even had a chance to get into a seated position.

Frustration at her own weakness seeped through all the pain then; forcing her to grit her teeth together as she rammed her eyes shut, her other hand bracing itself flat against the floor as she tried to haul herself up again. All attempts at getting up came to a sudden stop, however; as she felt a hand reach out to graze against hers on the ground…as she felt cool fingers tightening around her palm, and squeezing for a moment…and although she couldn't _see_ what was going on; she knew.

_Khan_. He was awake.

The fleeting touch from the Augment seemed to ease her panic for a split second, but just as soon as the sensation of his hand on hers had come, it was gone; the ensuing chaos that followed the loss of contact causing her to sag back to the ground once more while her mind tried to decipher that which she could not see.

Carol was yelling…trying to warn Jim. Charlotte heard a body fall to the ground right in front of her…the grunt of pain that followed shortly thereafter leading her to believe that Scotty had fallen first, and Khan was now after Jim. Every cell in her body was screaming at her to help her friends…to save them from the Augment's fury in that moment. But she was powerless. Powerless to do anything as she heard yet another thump…followed by a piercing shriek that brought the pain back to her head with a vengeance.

"_Carol…_" She breathed; her arm shifting only a fraction of an inch as she tried and failed to get up again. The sounds of an entirely new struggle now demanded all of her attention as she strained to figure out what was going on…the sound of a man being forced to his knees resounding in her mind as she heard all the pain…all the anger that Khan had endured come to life as he spoke.

"You…should have let me sleep."

A sickening crunch reached her then, causing her stomach to turn as she rolled onto her back in an attempt to lessen the impact of the tremors that had seized her again. Just for a moment, her vision cleared…enough for her to look to the side and see the mayhem scattered out before her…

And then everything faded to black.

…

**Greetings! I wanted to take a moment to apologize for the horrid shortness of this chapter…but I ended up getting into a car accident Friday on the way home from rotation (I'm alright, and so is the other driver; though I can't say the same for my car) and all the running around I had to do for that, coupled with a school project slightly put a dent in my writing time. I really did want to get something out to all of you though, since you've been so wonderful with the comments and the patience…so here it is. It's probably not my best work, so if it really is terrible I can take it down and redo it next weekend. But I figured a little bit would be better than nothing, right?**

**Once again, my heart-felt thanks goes out to CynthiaSylar for keeping me on task as much as was possible, and for giving me ideas to work with! I couldn't do this without ya love! Same goes for you, Dasiygirl95…you girls keep me sane! (Or…at least slightly sane).**

**As per usual, I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on what I have here! And again, apologies if it stinks. It can (and will) be fixed if necessary!**

**Love ya all! Until the next time…**

**MJR**


	14. Crashing Down

Marcus was dead. Khan had just killed him with his bare hands. The man who had caused him so much pain and suffering…he was gone. No more. He would never touch Khan or his people…his _family_ ever again. Everything was supposed to be better now. Less complicated. Except that it wasn't. Yes, Marcus was dead. Khan was the rightful owner of the ship that _he_ had built once again. He could use that ship to back the Enterprise into a corner. To get his crew back. To get his _life_ back. This was supposed to have been easier…

And yet, it wasn't. Instead of feeling a sense of victory and relief at the turn events had taken…instead of the singular need to return to his crew no matter the cost; Khan found himself trapped. Locked between an overpowering sense of satisfaction at Marcus' death, and the eerie sense that everything was falling apart; the Augment found himself at a loss for what to do. Something that had been routinely occurring, if he was honest enough to admit it, since he had first encountered the Enterprise's crew on Kronos. Since he had first seen _her. _

From the very first moment he had seen an uncanny fire flash through her eyes at his continued evasiveness with her interrogations, to how she had so stubbornly refused to be swayed from joining in the attempt to bring Marcus down; Charlotte had shown an altogether different quality than Khan was used to seeing in a human female. Others like her were so ordinary…so _weak. _Even Carol Marcus had never truly intrigued him the way that this woman had…and it haunted him that her presence should have been merely a blip on his radar; and yet it was not. Her potential death should not have phased him in the slightest. But in the moment Charlotte had crumpled to the floor, unconscious; the world had tilted onto its side, and everything ceased to make sense. Her collapse filled him with an unparalleled sense of urgency; the knowledge of how rapidly the virus was taking its toll almost paralyzing him…that is, until he saw Kirk reaching out to take her arm from his spot on the ground.

He could not be allowed to touch her…

Three lengthy strides were all it took to close the distance between himself and the foolhardy captain of the Enterprise; and before the man's hand could curl around Charlotte's wrist, the Augment had tugged him backwards, hoisting him up by the back of his uniform and tugging him backwards towards the console. All it took to hail the Enterprise was a flick of a few buttons, a task easily done with one hand; permitting Khan the ability to still hold Kirk up in front of himself as Spock appeared on the screen.

"I'm going to make this very simple for you" He said; holding Kirk by the neck of his uniform, and pushing him to stand slightly before his body as he drank in the Vulcan's startled expression. The Augment would force the acting Captain to concede to his demands. He would get his crew back. Maybe then, his world would begin to make sense again…

"Captain!" Spock exclaimed; his eyes betraying the calm exterior that he forced to remain in place as Khan cut him off.

"Your crew, for my crew…" He intoned; lips curling into a cold smile as he watched the Vulcan's cool exterior falter for a moment. Already he could sense his victory…

A victory that could come with nothing less than Starfleet's demise.

…

_Blackness. Sheer nothingness. This was what Charlotte found herself engulfed in as she pulled herself reluctantly to her feet; her eyes trying in vain to accommodate to the lack of light surrounding her as she straightened and took a deep breath. Seeing nothing…hearing nothing…she was left with a faint sense of everything turning sharply on its edge in a world just beyond her reach; unable to ignore the sense of danger lurking past this blanket of nothing, but incapable to reach those she loved…those that the danger she sensed engulfed._

_She was adrift. Caught in some place between reality and what could only be death. She was alone. Afraid. And she was powerless._

_Fighting back panic at the relative blindness that did its best to freeze her blood in her veins; the young woman took a cautious step forward, and then another, and another, all the while trying to convince herself that, in just a few more steps, perhaps she would find light. Help. Anything to relieve her of the growing sensation of solitude and pain that had formed a tight knot in her stomach. Try though she might, she was unable to stop the undeniable feeling of despair that stole over her in that moment; and it was all she could do to keep herself from breaking down entirely as she pressed forward, not stopping her relentless search for a reprieve from the darkness until a faint beam of light appeared in her peripheral vision._

_Whirling around so that she was able to face the source of light directly, Charlotte blinked against the ever growing brightness; raising a hand to shield her eyes as she registered footsteps, calm and sure, headed her way._

"_Who's there?"_

_Nothing but silence passed as her answer; and the young woman tensed momentarily, every cell in her body screaming at her to prepare evasive maneuvers as she raised her voice again._

"_Hello?"_

"_Charlotte."_

_Recognition dawning on her, Charlotte took an instinctive step backwards; hand flying to her mouth as she took in the now all too familiar figure that appeared just as the bright beam dimmed to a faint glow._

"_D-dad?"_

"_You shouldn't be here, Charlotte" The former Admiral intoned; his voice laden with concern and longing as he reached forward to graze his fingertips against his daughter's cheek as a form of greeting and affection "You can't be here."_

"_Why? Why not?" Charlotte demanded; closing her eyes against the warmth she could feel in her father's touch, and trying to ignore the stab of pain in her chest at how much she missed him. Where before she had wanted nothing more than to get out of here…to leave this darkness and return to her family among the living; his presence had calmed her, taking the pain and loneliness away in seconds and replacing them with what could only be described as peace. _

_A peace she wasn't sure she wanted to leave…_

"_Pea-pot, it isn't your time" Pike replied; smiling as his daughter's green eyes snapped open to meet his upon hearing the long forgotten nickname "There are so many things left for you to do. So many things you can be…"_

"_Dad, I miss you" Charlotte interrupted; tears stinging her eyes as she leaned her face into her father's hand "I miss you so much; and I…I'm lost."_

_As much as it pained her to admit it, her loneliness and sense of utter confusion would permit her to do no other; her head ducking down in chagrin as she awaited her father's response. Certainly her seeming weakness would disappoint him. Her inability to hold her own in his absence was certainly not reflective of who he had raised her to be…_

"_You aren't lost" He said; interrupting her thoughts and startling her with the vehemence behind his words as he went on "Charlotte, you are stronger than I ever could have expected. Look at what you've done already. Look at the lives you've changed."_

"_I don't understand. I haven't…I haven't changed anything."_

"_Yes you have" Pike countered; letting his hand fall to his side as the light that had dimmed what seemed like seconds before flared just a little brighter "You will see that, soon enough."_

"_But…but what if I stay here? With you? What if I don't want to go back?" She argued; desperation fueling her as she sensed something pulling at her…tugging her away from her newly found tranquility. Torn between knowing she couldn't stay, and yet wanting nothing more than to regain the time she had lost with her father; Charlotte once again brought her gaze up to meet his. Noting the familiar strength she had always relied on rising to the surface on his features; she did her best to ward off her anxiety as he spoke._

"_Charlotte, you must go back" The Admiral said; stepping closer so that he could cup his daughter's face with both hands "As much as I wish otherwise, I cannot keep you here. It would be selfish."_

"_But…"_

"_Think of what you're fighting for. Of your ship. The crew. Everyone you love and cherish. Do this for them."_

"_Dad…"_

"_Let yourself go back; Charlotte. Fight to survive" Pike said; squinting against the brightening flare of light beside him "And know that I love you, always."_

"_Dad!" Charlotte exclaimed; panic once again rising to the surface as her father slowly faded from her vision, only to be replaced by the blinding light that had signaled his arrival. As quickly as he had appeared, he was gone; but Charlotte never had a chance to attempt following him. Just as she had begun to trail after the rapidly fading light, a faint jolt shook her; rooting her to the spot as blackness surrounded her…_

_As she was thrust once more back into chaos._

…

Coming out of the darkness and into the light was something that Charlotte had never experienced before. To be able to hear everything around you, and to sense a great disturbance; almost as though your body was screaming in protest against being held in limbo, blind and immobile to everything that was occurring was a haunting experience. She had never known such an utter sense of powerlessness…of _uselessness _in her life. And to be thrust out of that disturbance into what could only be described as blinding chaos…well that was nothing short of frightening.

Blinking against the bright glare assaulting her eyes, Charlotte shifted slightly; a wave of uncertainty rolling through her as she discovered her arms had been secured tightly against her sides. She could hear a terrible groaning sound surrounding her, but she was unable to pinpoint what was causing it; and more so in an effort to give herself more time to adjust than to acutely remain still, she rested her head back on the soft surface beneath it, taking deep breaths as still more noises reached her ears, and her vision came into focus.

She was aboard the Enterprise again. She was home. But something was very wrong.

Cracks and muted pops were echoing all around her as she tilted her head slowly to the side; suppressing the gasp that wanted to rise to the surface as she felt the ship give a sudden lurch just as her eyes fell on a familiar form in a similar secured position not a few feet away.

"Carol?"

Her voice came out softer…scratchier than she was used to; but before she could spend too much time contemplating what, exactly, had caused that; she was met with a pair of wide blue eyes as the blonde turned slightly to face her.

"You're awake!"

"What's happening?"

"We've been hit pretty hard by…" Carol began, casting her eyes to the side for a moment, and hesitating before she switched tactics "He unleashed all the firepower that ship has at us, Charlotte. The core's destabilized and…"

"Who did?" Charlotte asked; confusion and disbelief evident on her features as she awaited her friend's reply. She knew, on some level, that she was supposed to understand what was going on. She should have remembered. But the fog that had enveloped her mind while she had been out was still lingering in corners and crannies…

"Charlotte, how much do you remember about what we've been through?"

"I…" The young woman began; fingers curling into fists in frustration as she tried and failed to decipher what she had seen in her apparent black out, and reconcile it with reality. Something in her brain was refusing to click into place…and she was just about to distract herself by attempting to get out of the secure fastenings holding her still; when yet another voice reached her ears.

"Well I'll be damned. It worked."

"So it would seem, Doctor McCoy."

Shaking her head in confusion at Carol's reply, and craning her neck around just in time to see Bones snap out a hand to stabilize himself against yet another lurch of the ship; Charlotte blinked a few times, taking in his harried and yet pleased expression before she inquired:

"What worked?"

"I managed to get a lead on the basic prototype used to create whatever it was Marcus injected you with" The doctor replied; making his way carefully towards where Carol and Charlotte were secured into place as the Enterprise gave yet another horrifying groan "Turns out the antidote I whipped up from our collection on that hell hole of a planet Jim wanted to explore a couple years ago was similar. Eerily similar."

"Antidote…"

"Carol tells me we can't know how long it will last; since the virus you were given was augmented, no pun intended" Bones went on; his eyes showing just the faintest hints of fear for a fraction of a second before he was back to business "But it'll give us some time to figure out what the hell we can do for you. That is, if we ever make it off this damn ship."

"What caused all of this?" Charlotte asked then; looking from the doctor at her side, to Carol and noting how they both risked a glance at each other before Bones replied:

"Khan."

"No. No that's…that's impossible" The young woman argued; moving to sit up in spite of the bind around her waist, and ignoring the hand Bones snapped out to waylay her movements "He…he wouldn't. Not after…"

"He would if he thought we killed his crew."

"You _what?_"

"Spock detonated the torpedoes after they were beamed over, and you were beamed back" The doctor explained; still maintaining a tight hold on Charlotte's shoulder as he watched what minimal color that had returned to her skin drain away again "What Khan doesn't know, is that _we_ still have the cryotubes."

Following the gesture towards the back of Med Bay, Charlotte blinked a few times; uncertain how to react to what could only be described as open deceit before she spoke, her tone hushed.

"Why in the _hell_ would you do that?"

"Well it isn't like we could just let him fly away with his crew of super humans to take over the world…"

"Bones, you let him think his family is dead!"

"And he actually _killed_ someone in yours!" The doctor retorted; the tone of his voice causing both Carol and Charlotte to flinch before he ran a hand haphazardly over his face, and letting out a low groan of frustration. Of course he shouldn't have used her father's death against her like that. But she needed to see reason. Hearing her seeming to _defend_ the monster who was quite determinedly trying to kill them all was something that he simply could not take…

"We've stabilized" Carol interjected then; her words dragging both the doctor and Charlotte back to the present as she nodded towards the exterior lights that had ignited once more "Whatever Jim did, it must have worked."

Meeting Carol's gaze, Charlotte raised an eyebrow; preparing to inquire as to what, exactly her friend had gotten himself into. Before she could do so, however; she found herself being gently pressed back into the hover bed by Bones, noting how he was carefully avoiding her gaze as he spoke.

"Rest, Charlotte" He said; turning to draw a needle and syringe from the table nearest them as he finished "I need to…to take some more blood."

"To see how much time I've got" She replied; watching as the doctor's brown eyes snapped to hers in seconds, surprise spreading through them at how quickly she had reoriented to strict business. Noting his expression, she did her best to soften her own; placing an arm over Bones' hand as she finished "Do what you have to. I won't fight you."

"Yeah. For now…"

…

What could have been minutes, or hours later…Charlotte couldn't really tell…she found herself startled back into alertness; straightening her posture in the chair that Bones had helped her to after finally relenting to her protests at being tied down. The muted scuffling and thuds coming from behind the door that kept the Med Bay separate from the rest of the ship had succeeded in rendering her fully awake once again; and she easily ignored the strange way Bones was staring at her from his position at his desk just before her as the door slid open, and a group of yeomen carried in a body bag. Blood running cold at a sight that she had been fortunate to encounter only a handful of times, Charlotte stood slowly; only then noting that Scotty and Uhura had followed right behind the small procession, their faces holding something that she had never seen to such a degree before.

Pain.

"Scotty?" Bones spoke up from his place beside Charlotte; his hand going to steady her even though she had yet to falter as his eyes drilled into the Engineer before him. To see such a shattered expression on the face of one who was normally so stoic was nothing less than unnerving; and both the doctor and Charlotte stepped back slightly as Scotty moved forward, his eyes never quite meeting theirs as he answered.

"The Captain…Jim…he…"

"He what, Scotty?" Bones interrupted; sensing the man's hesitation, and noting how it fueled his own uncertainty as he went on "Dammit, man; talk!"

Catching Uhura's look of combined sadness and disbelief, Charlotte took a wary step backwards then; her hand snapping out to latch onto the edge of one of the nearby hover beds as she watched the yeomen lower the body bag onto the bed next to where she stood. Though her mind still hadn't fully caught up to what was happening…to what _had_ happened…she could not ignore the creeping sense of dread that had started to form in her heart; her eyes widening in comprehension as Scotty finally spoke again. As, once again, Charlotte's world threatened to collapse around her.

"He's dead."

…

**Hey guys! Guess who? The long lost crazy writer person who promised weekly updates and then left you all hanging. Yep. That's me.**

**I really am terribly sorry for disappearing on you…this newest rotation I just started is rather busier than I had anticipated (getting up at 4am to arrive by 6, then staying til 4-5 at night every day plus doing more work when I'm home…bleh). But here it is! The long awaited next chapter! And I even ended it on somewhat less of a cliffie, given that we already know what happens to Jim. Hehe.**

**All of that mumbo-jumbo aside, I wanted to thank you all for your support and patience (20-some reviews on the last chapter alone? HOLY SMOKES!). I really do appreciate each and every one of you; and I love you all (sends kisses and hugs).**

**Next I wanted to thank CynthiaSylar and Dasiygirl95 for continuing to prod me on this. I could never do half of what I do without you girls! (sends more kisses and hugs).**

**I think that about ties up my ramblings…but before I go, I'd like to encourage you all to, as usual, leave me your thoughts on this chapter! I kinda wrote it rather quickly, because I do still have school stuff to attend to; and I'm due to have company in a few minutes. But I wanted to get something out to you this weekend anyway (so hopefully the quality isn't terrible). But if it is…you know what to do, and I can take it down and fix it the next chance I get.**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	15. Pray for a Miracle

Khan Noonien Singh was no stranger to grief. He had seen countless numbers of his crew succumb to the crude experiments the human scientists had subjected them to when they were first created. He had witnessed still more going to their deaths during the Eugenics Wars. He had buried some of those he held most dear, and carried on; pressing forward to continue their cause. He had held fast against a world that tried its utmost to tempt him into its darker corners while all those he loved slept; forcing himself to remember why he was here. Why he was doing everything in his power to abide by the hypocritical rules set forth by the elite forces of Starfleet; when all he truly desired was to watch them crumble into dust for what they had done.

But now, his family was gone. Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise's crew had betrayed him; sending the torpedoes to his ship as requested, only to detonate them when they arrived. He was alone. His ship was inoperable. And he was caught in between equal parts of immeasurable grief; and boundless fury. Once again he had been used and cast aside by the very people he had wanted to destroy. It was not he who was supposed to be at the mercy of another; forced to desperate measures to simply survive. But just like on Kronos, he was lost. Adrift. All of his carefully crafted plans were for naught now…he had failed. He failed his crew. He failed himself.

He had failed _her_…

The Augment had intentionally avoided including the late Admiral Pike's daughter in the party that would be beamed back to the Enterprise. For reasons that he could not fully comprehend, he had found himself consumed with the desire to keep her with him. To see if he could somehow save her. Without really being aware of it, the woman had wormed her way into his mind. And the strange sense of attachment Khan now felt towards her would allow nothing less than to see her survive; no matter the cost.

But he had lost her, too. At the last second, Kirk had grabbed a hold of her arm; and she was gone. Taken back to the very place where he could not reach her. Could not help her.

She would die. Just as his crew had died. And he would truly be alone. Paralyzed by that terrifying prospect, every instinct he possessed was demanding vengeance against those who had put him in this position. He wanted to watch Kirk…Spock…everyone aboard the flagship of Starfleet _burn_ for what they had done. For what they had put him through. But he had no functioning weapons. And even if he did…

Could he fire on the Enterprise yet again, knowing Charlotte was aboard?

Cursing his indecision, the Augment forced his mind back to the present; latching onto one of the consoles nearby as he hauled himself towards the main control panel while the ship plummeted to Earth. He stood no chance of righting its course, and avoiding a crash…but he found himself fighting a bitter smirk as it occurred to him that the superior genes he possessed would likely still allow him to survive; in spite of how he almost wished that it would all just end now. After all, what else did he stand to lose? His life? What life _was_ there, if he had no one to share it with?

Almost as quickly as the thought had entered his mind, however; Khan found himself taken aback by an unexpectedly strong surge of defiance. He was stronger…_better_…than this. He had been built to adapt in tenuous situations. To change, and move on when all was lost. It was what he was made for. Evolution. Progress. Forward motion. And even though his mind was weary; his body seemed intent on pursuing further life. Further retribution. It was as though he was not physically _capable_ of letting go; in spite of how much he wanted to. And so it was that he found himself setting forth on a collision course to Earth; the beginnings of a new plan forming even in the midst of the tattered remains of his former goals.

He would find Charlotte. Save her if he could. And if she was already lost to him…he would _end_ Kirk, and everyone else aboard the ship that represented everything he had suffered.

_No decision comes without its price…_

…

Wave after wave of cold dread assaulted Charlotte as she gazed down at the lifeless form of her best friend. Her brother; not by blood, but certainly by bond. The one who had helped her through so much…who had seen her at her best, and at her worst…was gone. Lost to her forever. The stabilization of the ship had come at the cost of his life. And even though she could hear the voices of her crew surrounding her, likely trying to share in this new source of grief; she was once again in the grip of the same paralyzing numbness that had taken over when her father had died. Once again, she felt the void re-opening in her heart as she realized she would never again be called out to act as wing-man for Jim as he attempted to woo any woman within a ten mile radius. She would never hear his laugh as he teased her for siding with Spock on one matter or another. And though she knew her friend would likely read her the riot act for thinking in such a manner; she could not stop her mind from traveling towards despair.

Bones really should have just let her go…

Forcing herself back to reality as she felt a firm hand on her arm; Charlotte blinked up at Scotty as his face swam into view beside her, his concern all-too evident in his features as he addressed her:

"Lass? Come now, I think it'd be best for ye if ye sit down…"

"No, Scotty; really. I'm fine."

"Like hell you are, Charlotte" Bones interrupted; moving to stand beside the Engineer as he held out the scope he was so fond of in front of her body "You've been through hell, and come out of it, for now. And I'm not going to…"

The doctor trailed off then, as he caught the growing look of apprehension in the young woman's eyes; his teeth coming out to worry his lower lip for a brief moment before he gestured for her to move back to her seat.

"Sit, Charlotte."

"No."

"Charlotte…"

"Bones, stop. Please."

"Dammit, woman; I'm trying to help you!"

"I know that" The young woman replied; stepping away from the doctor's outstretched hand, even as she attempted a reassuring smile "I know. I know what you're trying to do, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Char, you don't mean that" Bones protested; genuine fear reflecting in his eyes as he spared a worried glance towards Scotty "You _can't_…"

Before the doctor could go any further, however; a faint chirping echoed around them, the only indication of where the noise initiated from coming when the Engineer drew his communicator from his uniform pocket and held the device to his ear. A few seconds were spent in tense silence as the surrounding crew members relapsed into their own private grief regarding the demise of their captain; only breaking back to the present moment once more as Scotty dropped the comm to his side and spoke.

"That was Mister Spock. He's requesting Lieutenant Uhura's presence on the Bridge."

Nyota's only response was a curt nod, her eyes belying how she was clearly fighting back her own tears as she spun on a heel and headed out towards the corridor…and in spite of her numbness in that moment, Charlotte found herself almost eager to follow; her desire to put as much distance between herself and the cold reality of Jim's death growing in strength as she stepped towards the door. Barely heeding Scotty's look of startled amazement, the young woman brushed past him; not even pausing for a second as she heard Bones call out in protest.

"Charlotte, you need to remain under observation!"

_I'm fine…_

….

Pain. Shards of it, hitting him from every angle. Doing its best to bring him down. To keep him from fighting. He could feel it in the small tears in the skin of his abdomen. He sensed it growing in his bones; shattering waves of near-weakness brought about by a harsh landing after an all but impossible jump. But like all others of his kind…or at least what had been his kind, before they were taken from him…Khan persisted. Possessed by a singular goal, he pressed forward. There was no other choice for him. Not really. A lifetime of enforced servitude, misunderstandings, and falsehoods demanded little else. He _would_ adapt. He _would_ change, as he always had. He would find a way, somehow, to outlast the persecution brought about by the very ancestors of those who had created him. And he would do so in the only way he knew how.

By making them pay, a thousand times over, for what they had taken.

Consumed by such a desire, the Augment made his best attempt at weaving through the stunned crowds in the streets of San Francisco; tugging an abandoned jacket around his frame in an attempt at masking his injuries, and barely sparing a passing thought to the humans he was bulldozing aside as he pushed forward. Only one thought mattered now…finding _her_. Saving her; if he could. And if not…

He would simply adapt, again. As he always had.

Some small part of him protested vehemently against the latter thought, however; a sensation akin to despair rising in his mind as the prospect of a world without Charlotte threatened to paralyze him. He had no way of explaining that particular facet of his thinking…but before he could attempt coming to any form of understanding, he found himself brought back to reality in an instant; startled cries and gasps diverting his attention towards an all-too familiar beam of light that had just materialized a few feet away.

_The Vulcan_.

Dark brown eyes met steely blue in the instant the beams of light faded away; the mixture of earth-shattering pain, and anger in them seeming to snap out across the distance separating the two men. Without really pausing to think, Khan felt that familiar sense of loss creeping in on his senses once more; and perhaps in an effort to avoid still further chaos and confusion for his already tumultuous thoughts, he turned on a heel and fled.

_He did not have time for such distractions…_

Speeding off in an as yet unknown direction, Khan forced all thoughts to the side; survival instinct over-riding logic as he ran. Rising to Spock's challenge…meeting him in the fight that he seemed to desire…would only delay the Augment's final goal. Something that he could not accept. He _would _not accept it. And yet, as he narrowly avoided a collision with a car…as he shoved yet another human aside in an attempt to extend the distance between himself and his enemy…he found _logic_, of all things, beginning to hold sway over all else.

Having initially thought that Spock had arrived to take him back into custody, it had been easy for the Augment to run. It was common knowledge that he would be able to outrun Spock; his superior strength and stamina acting in his favor, as they always had. But he could not avoid the turn his thoughts now took as he unintentionally slowed in his flight; the reasoning behind the cold sense of loss he had felt upon laying eyes on the Vulcan rising to the surface in spite of how he tried to force it out of the way.

Had Spock simply wished to return Khan into the custody of Starfleet…had he simply come down as a mission of retrieval…would his eyes have held so much pain and anger? Would he have looked as broken as he had? As though his entire world had been shattered? No. No, the normally emotionless man would not have seemed so utterly destroyed in that moment; had he only been carrying out a sense of duty. And try though he might to resist coming to the only possible conclusion that he had…

Khan _knew_. It must have been her. The Vulcan was not here for duty or honor. He was here for _vengeance_. And that could only mean one thing.

Charlotte was dead. The only one who could hold the Augment to the world, in spite of how he could not understand her power over him, was gone. He truly did have nothing, now. And instead of an overwhelming desire to continue running…to get away while he still could; Khan now felt the need to stay. To fight. He had lost his crew. He had lost the one person who seemed to understand him; at least to a degree, no matter how much he felt she would deny it. Anyone who would ever be able to see his side in _anything_ was now gone.

And now, amidst the sense of powerlessness that threatened to do him in; Khan felt a new instinct taking hold. It was one of anger…one of vengeance.

_He would not be the only one to lose everything he had ever loved…_

…..

Brought back to reality by the harsh urgency in Bones' voice as it rang out in the near silence of the bridge; Charlotte shoved the recurring sensation of bone-chilling pain to the side, ignoring the panic she felt over how the virus was, in all likelihood, overcoming the antidote the doctor had given her as she focused in on her friend's words.

"McCoy to bridge. I can't reach Spock. I need Khan alive. You get that son of a bitch back on board right now! I think he can save Kirk."

"Can we beam them up to the ship?" Sulu asked; sharing a look that held equal parts of hope and trepidation with Charlotte as Chekov answered:

"Zey keep moving! I cannot get a lock on either of zem!"

"Can you beam someone down?"

Gaze flicking to Uhura, Charlotte saw the determination in her friend's eyes; a fact that served to spur her forward as she registered Chekov's nod of affirmation.

"We can do zat, yes."

"I'm going with you."

Spinning around, Uhura held a hand out to waylay Charlotte as the young woman made to follow her; shaking her head as she spoke.

"Char, we don't know how much time you've…"

"Exactly. Which is why I need to do this."

"Charlotte…"

"Nyota, listen" Charlotte began; swallowing against a wave of familiar vertigo as she pressed forward "I think…I think I may be able to get Khan to agree to this."

"How is that?"

"I…I don't know" The young woman answered; holding up a hand to stall her friend's likely protest as she went on "I don't know. It's just…it's a gut feeling. And if I've learned anything in my time with you all it's never to discount those types of feelings. So I'm…I'm asking you. Let me do this."

Eyes narrowing as she watched Charlotte seem to sway on the spot; Uhura cast a wary glance at Chekov, noting how the Russian seemed equally as torn as she was about what to allow. Of course, the Lieutenant knew that her friend's stubbornness would likely permit nothing less than to accompany her in her attempt at waylaying Spock's vengeance against the man who had murdered his friend. But could she permit Charlotte to come along; knowing that the stress of such an encounter may tip her condition towards something irreparable?

"Nyota, _please_…"

Closing her eyes for a moment, Uhura drew in a deep breath; exasperation and resignation pushing her into a decision as she returned her attention to the stubborn woman before her.

"Fine. But no heroics."

"Wouldn't dream of it…"

…..

He had him. Khan had the Vulcan at his mercy; head between his hands. He was crushing the man's skull. He could see what he thought to be genuine fear in the face of certain death in the normally expressionless brown eyes. And though he had imagined this moment…though he had envisioned it giving him great satisfaction to watch yet another enemy's life wither away before his eyes…

He felt _nothing_.

Nothing save for the same inexplicable sense of pain and all-encompassing loss thathad been his constant companion ever since witnessing the death of his crew. But he could not dwell on that now. Not when this may be the only chance to ensure that the rest of the Enterprise's crew knew what it was to suffer what he had suffered.

Not when he held the life of one so cherished in his very hands.

Forcing his focus back to the matter at hand; Khan increased the pressure at the Vulcan's temples, a ragged groan of frustration leaving him as he felt the man's fingers curl around his arm in a futile attempt to break his concentration. It would not work. Nothing could sway his resolve, now. He _would_ end the Vulcan's life; or die trying. There could be no other way.

The Augment redoubled his efforts then, grim satisfaction stealing over him and blotting out the pain he felt as he finally sensed bone giving way to the sheer force of his hands…as he finally caught a flicker of realization and cold dread in Spock's eyes as he felt his end drawing near. It was over. This was the end…nothing could stop what was about to transpire.

Almost as soon as the thought had crossed his mind, however; Khan found himself startled by the distinct feeling of a centralized burning emanating out from his left shoulder. Only barely aware of the noise that had reached him just prior to such a feeling, he turned to face the source of this newest distraction; his entire body freezing as he took in the site before him. Uhura stood only a few feet away, phaser aiming directly at his chest as she took another shot…but perhaps what stunned him more than the feeling of still more burning washing over his frame was the woman who stood just a little behind his attacker.

_Charlotte_…how was she still alive?

Catching how her eyes had almost instinctively risen to meet his; Khan found himself once again at a loss to explain the overwhelming desire he felt to simply take her away from all of this, his heart lurching in his chest as he watched her reach out to grab at Uhura's arm. She was trying to stop her…she was pulling at her friend's weapon as though she wished to stop the assault against him before it carried on too far…and Khan had only seconds to register exactly what that meant; before green eyes once again met his, going wide with fear before Charlotte collapsed.

Still too stunned to move, in spite of the growing urgency he felt to act on _something_; the Augment found himself crying out in belated pain as he felt the Vulcan snapping his arm backwards, using his distraction against him. Before he could retaliate, however; he was being flipped onto his back, air leaving his lungs in a rush as blow after blow was aimed towards his face…his chest…anything that Spock could reach. Khan only barely made out Uhura's cry of protest as he remained, motionless…something in him finally relinquishing its stubborn hold on survival as he waited for the end. He stood no chance of getting to Charlotte now. Not with Spock raining blows on him from above, and Uhura's phaser that would very likely bring him down even if he _did _overwhelm the Vulcan…

Khan was prepared for the end, now. Prepared for whatever afterlife some unknown power had deemed fit for him and his kind. Truth be told, he had been prepared for it since his awakening. But amidst the feeling of resignation that he sensed stealing over him, now…even in spite of how his mind was trying, futilely, to hold onto consciousness…Khan found himself experiencing a renewed sense of shock as Uhura's voice reached him once more.

"He's our only chance to save Kirk!"

Revulsion…he would _not_ save that man…anger resurging; only to be followed by pure blackness as Spock's fist collided with his face one last time…

_He would rather be dead._

…

Days. It had been _days_ since both Charlotte, and the Captain had received his blood. Days since he had breached his tentative agreement with Spock and the doctor regarding his continued presence at Charlotte's bedside; watching…_waiting_ for some improvement in her vitals that were constantly on display on the monitor beside her bed. Thus far, there had been no change. And though Khan felt a faint hint of irritation at the constant sentinel pressing a phaser mere inches away from his side, in case he should do anything untoward…

The majority of his attention had been riveted on the numbers on the monitor. Praying…_willing_…them to go up. Even a marginal increase would have done him some good. At the very least, it would have reassured him that he _could _succumb to cryosleep once again; knowing that she would come around eventually. But it seemed that Charlotte's vitals were every bit as stubborn as she had been; resolutely remaining thready at best in spite of the doctor's best efforts at persuading them otherwise. And so it was that Khan found himself unintentionally snaking his hand out to curl around hers; intent upon ignoring the jab of a weapon into his side as he leaned forward, his voice a mere whisper as he spoke.

"Come on, Charlotte. Show me that fire…"

As if in response to his plea, a series of beeps rang out in the quiet room; the numbers that the Augment had been so carefully watching steadily climbing up as he obesrved, wide-eyed with amazement. It had finally worked. His blood had eradicated the damaged cells that had been torn apart by the virus of Marcus' design.

Charlotte would _live_. Words could not describe the overwhelming sense of relief and near-elation he felt as that knowledge hit home. Even as the sentinel's hand closed around his arm, and tugged him backwards; he could not find it in himself to resist, all the pent up anxiety that he had experienced over the past few sleepless days of watching as the young woman remained somnolent rendering him utterly exhausted. Too tired to fight, he allowed himself to be escorted out of the room just as the doctor and Spock walked in. He wasn't even ready with a stinging retort as the Vulcan's voice echoed towards him; once again cold and impassive in its authority.

"A bargain _is_ a bargain, Khan…"

…

**Good heavens! It's been such a long time since I wrote for you guys! I can't believe how time got away from me, there. And I am deeply sorry for the neglect! One thing led to another as far as school goes…nothing unusual there. But I never meant for it to get this out of hand…**

**Can you ever forgive me? I sure hope so! Because let me just say that this chapter just kind of…took over. Made me its own. And I hope that you like the end result! I guess what I was shooting for was to show an equal measure of Khan and Charlotte's thoughts regarding their situation; although I did, admittedly, spend a bit more time with Khan here. I think in the end though, that may have been the better choice, since we didn't really get to see what he was thinking all that much in previous chapters. So hopefully that whole shebang meets with your approval!**

**Next, I kind of want to address the potential for this chapter to seem "jumpy." It was partly my intent to go about it that way, in an effort to show some of Khan's feelings while still conveying the urgency of the situation. Especially given how quickly events transpired at the end of the movie, I feel that it was appropriate to go about it this way…so hopefully you don't find it too obnoxious! And if you do, I can always take it down and fix later.**

**As I always do, I'm hoping to hear lots of thoughts about this chapter. What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Should it stay? Or should I toss it back into the fiery chasm from whence it came? Lol…I think you know the drill by now! I'm anxiously awaiting your input!**

**Many thanks to you for staying with me through my sporadic updates! I'm sending out hugs to each of you as we speak!**

**Until the next time…**

**MJR**


	16. SafeFor Now

It was the strangest feeling; being lost in between wakefulness and the warm cocoon of endless sleep. Not for the first time, Charlotte was unable to deny that a small part of her was tempted to simply drift in that warm cocoon forever; safe and secure in peaceful nothingness. It seemed so much easier to exist _there_, than it did in the harsh environment of reality. The environment that would have her acknowledge how her best friend was dead. The world where she would have to live with how the ship she had once called home was destroyed. But something held her back from relinquishing that final hold on the thin thread keeping her anchored to the world. Something, it seemed, would not let her go into the darkness without a fight. And for some inexplicable reason, Charlotte found herself compelled to acquiesce to this mysterious tether to the world of the living; her mind and soul all but demanding that she remain strong. That she _fight_ for her life, instead of giving up and succumbing to what would inevitably be simpler.

And she _did _fight. Whether she truly wanted to, or not; she could sense her body trying to force itself out of the sluggish stupor it had grown so comfortable with. It was as though every cell she possessed was somehow replenished in that moment; each one growing stronger by the second as she waited. She thought she could feel something touching her through the fog separating her from the world she had once known…and without really giving a second thought; she found herself actively straining to get closer to that touch, as though all the answers she could ever want would be given to her if she could just _reach_ it…

Almost as if sensing her need, that touch intensified for the briefest of moments; and Charlotte redoubled her efforts instinctively, the faintest wisps of panic reaching her as she felt the contact she so desired diminish until it was removed from her entirely. Somehow, she knew that she didn't _want _to lose that contact with whatever it was; no matter how small. And it was that knowledge that tumbled her into consciousness, a strangled gasp escaping her lungs as she blinked against the brightness hovering just above her head.

Struggling to sit up, in spite of how her body felt like so much dead weight; Charlotte allowed her eyes to flit about the room in search of the one who had tethered her here…the one who had refused to let her go, fighting back the small wave of disappointment she felt taking over her as the voice she heard failed to meet up with what she had anticipated.

"There you are" Bones spoke up; a relieved smile taking over his usually stern features as he shared a glance with the Vulcan beside him before proceeding "Took ya long enough to wake up."

"How…" Charlotte began; only to close her mouth and swallow stiffly as she realized how dry and cracked her voice had been. Brows furrowing, she made the attempt to speak again; a frustrated huff leaving her as she found the attempt futile.

"I believe she needs water, Doctor" Spock intoned; managing a brief smile of his own as he watched Charlotte nod vehemently, stepping to the side to allow Bones passage as he grabbed the decanter and glass from the bedside table. The doctor let out a laugh as he felt Charlotte eagerly taking the glass from his hands; and he watched her take several long sips at once, noting how her hands shook ever so slightly before she removed the glass from her lips and looked at him.

"How am I…"

"How are you still alive?" Bones finished for her; waiting for her to nod in affirmation before he began to explain "It was a gamble, really. Doing what we did. Given that the virus Marcus gave you was intended for an _Augment_, we really never had much hope that it would work…"

Sensing that her friend was trying to dodge around the truth, Charlotte rested the cup of water against her lap in an attempt to ignore how her hands seemed to tremble, almost for no reason; choosing instead to focus on Bones' impending reply as she interrupted:

"That what would work, Bones?"

The doctor hesitated then, casting his eyes downward as he struggled for what to say…for how to tell her exactly who had saved her. Of course he had no way of knowing how she would react; given her current state, and how much further she still had to go before she was completely out of the woods. But before he could make any attempt at giving her the answer she wanted, Spock was taking over the conversation; causing Bones to let out a faint snort of resignation as the Vulcan spoke.

"Khan's blood, Commander" He said; noting, with curiosity, how Charlotte's face blanched at his statement before she interjected:

"So he…he gave _me_ his…"

"He made it abundantly clear that your guaranteed survival was the only way he would agree to aid the Captain" The Vulcan replied; his dark eyes showing just a small hint of disgust as he elaborated "We had no choice."

"You make it sound like you didn't want to save her, Spock" Bones chided; stepping closer to the side of Charlotte's bed and grabbing her hand as he said "And before you ask, Jim is alright, too."

Relief mixed with shock as Charlotte nodded in response; her head falling back to rest against the pillow as she allowed her eyes to slip closed. Jim was _alive_. By some miracle…supposedly her own recovery…he had been saved. That, of course, was wonderful. But as much as her relief tried to uplift her, she found confusion taking over simultaneously; her mind doing its best to comprehend exactly why _she_ was still living.

_Khan_. He had saved her. Given her his blood. Made _her_ his condition for saving their Captain…her best friend. None of it made any sense. Why would he do that? Why did she make the difference between Jim's survival or death? She was _nothing_ to him. Nothing but another weak human that had tried to analyze him…that had tried to figure him out; when all thought of doing exactly that was futile. True, she had been able to gain _some _understanding of his cause; no matter how small. She had understood why he had been driven, as he had, to commit such monstrous acts; in spite of her lingering resentment for her father's death at his hands. But that was minor. _Miniscule_, in comparison to the hell he had endured. To what he had lost. Her life or death should not have mattered to him in the slightest.

But apparently, it had. And that thought both fascinated, and frightened her more than she cared to admit.

"Charlotte?" Bones' voice came to her through her thoughts then; startling her as she opened her eyes once again as she focused on his face "Are you alright?"

Sensing his concern, the young woman did her best to give him a smile; shaking her head a bit as she shifted to get more comfortable before replying:

"I…I'm fine. I was just thinking; that's all."

"Commander, I do not think…" Spock began; his expression demonstrating his clear doubt of the truth in Charlotte's words before Bones cut him off.

"Would you relax, Spock? The woman has a right to think" He admonished; giving his friend's hand a squeeze before stepping back and gesturing towards the door "But for now, she needs her rest. Meaning we should _leave_."

Watching as the two men made their way towards the door; Charlotte leaned forward slightly as she spoke up, ignoring how her stomach lurched as she registered the atypical speed with which she had moved as she said:

"When can I see Jim?"

Laughing at the expected question, Bones turned to face his friend; stretching his hand over to turn the light above her bed down just a bit as he replied:

"Soon, Charlotte. But you aren't seeing _anyone _unless you give yourself time to heal."

…

They had him in a locked room, its walls white-washed and its floors spotless. The area was sparsely furnished, save for the narrow bed he sat upon, and the chair beside it; lending the image of purgatory before entering hell. And to Khan, it _was _purgatory. Though he would not ignore how much a part of him yearned to sink back into the blackness of cryosleep; a greater part of him desired to be present when the woman he could not even begin to understand woke once more…and the Augment found himself fighting frustration as he sat on the edge of the bed, back ramrod straight as he heard the metal door opposite him slide open with a muted hiss.

Khan regarded the man who had entered with barely masked disdain; noting how he seemed almost ready to flee with something akin to pleasure as he continued watching. _Waiting_. Clearly, he made the man uneasy. Not an unusual reaction, to be sure. But as he continued observing casually while the officer gave the bed a wide berth and began to organize supplies on the vacant chair nearby; Khan found his thoughts once again returning to Charlotte as he contemplated the obscure reasoning behind his decision to save her.

Truly, he knew that he should have regarded her as nothing more than a vessel for his wishes; someone to perhaps assist him in achieving his goals, and then to be discarded after he had used her thoroughly. Such was the way he had always handled any human, in the past. Without a second thought, he had taken several of their inferior species and convinced them they were of great value to him; permitting them to view themselves as sitting at his right hand, until they were merely a burden instead of a necessity. But try though he might, something within him balked at viewing Charlotte in such a manner…instinct telling him that she was so much _more_ than any human he had ever known before.

He could not make sense of it, of course. And as was his habit, he held a fair amount of mistrust and loathing for that which he could not comprehend. But as much as he wanted to _hate _this woman for instilling in him a need to _protect_…to possess…he found himself, regrettably unable to do so. It was as though she had used her weakness…the very thing that made her inferior to him…to gain control; and now that she had it, she refused to let go. And as if to add still more aggravation and indecision to his mind; she remained blissfully unaware that she had ever been more than a blip on his radar.

Charlotte had clearly never picked up on the strange hold she had over him; that much was evident in how she held herself around him, as though waiting for him to strike her down at any second. In spite of her façade of carefully practiced control, Khan had noticed, almost immediately, how she seemed to shy away from him; her body rejecting his nearness even as she had seemed to instinctively lean into his touch. She was at war with herself, as much as he was. And instead of being able to use that fact to distance himself from her; Khan instead found that it drew him to her even more strongly.

_What is this hold you have over me; little human?_

Flinching at the touch of cool, sharp metal against his forearm; Khan found his mind forced back to the present then, his eyes flicking to the tense frame of the officer who now held a needle to his skin as the man addressed him.

"This may sting a bit…"

Biting back a laugh at how it almost seemed as though the man was genuinely concerned about his feelings, Khan leaned back against the bed; surprise slipping through him as he almost _wished _that it would sting. That it would be unbearably painful.

Maybe pain was what he needed to erase the image of frightened green eyes out of his mind for good…

…..

"Charlotte, are you _sure_ you don't want me to pick you up?" Jim's anxious voice rang out to her from the other end of the comm; causing her to laugh in exasperation as she shut the door to the vehicle she had commissioned for the day and walked towards the imposing building that was her destination. Doing her best to cover the mouthpiece of the comm as she approached the doorway that loomed over her like some sort of imposing statue, she ducked inside; praying fervently that her friend would not be able to recognize that she was not at home at all as she answered him.

"Jim, I'm fine, honest. I'll only be a few seconds later than you."

"Alright" He replied; skepticism heavy in his voice as she heard him take a deep breath before finishing "But if you're any later than that, I'm coming to find you."

"Got it" Charlotte said; smiling faintly as she put the device back in her side pocket as she wove in and out of the crowd that was milling about the tiny vestibule, making her way towards the seldom-used back door with equal parts apprehension and determination. She knew, deep down, that this was probably a mistake. She barely understood why she was here; and she knew without a doubt that Jim would have thought her insane…

Which is precisely why she had left him in the dark about it in the first place.

Shaking herself from her doubts, Charlotte closed the distance between herself and the door; extending a shaky hand towards the doorknob, and taking a deep breath as she turned it, and stepped inside. The room was dark, lit only by a small lamp that was positioned a few feet away from a solitary bed…and just as she had requested; she was the only person within as the door slid to a close behind her. The only person, save for the man who was reclined in sleep on the bed just a few steps away.

Holding her breath as she leaned back against the cool metal of the doorframe; Charlotte forced herself to remain calm as she watched the steady rise and fall of Khan's chest, noting how serene…how _peaceful_ he looked at rest. He, of course, was not aware of her presence. The drugs that had been administered to transition his body in preparation for dwelling in a cryotube once more had long since taken effect; and it was likely for that reason only that she found herself strong enough to come here at all. As much as she didn't understand the mysterious force that drew her to his side in this moment; a part of her all but demanded that she come here to make amends. To apologize, in part, for her vague contribution to what he had been through. And, perhaps more importantly, to _thank _him. Without his blood, she knew she would have been lost.

_She owed him this much…_

Steeling herself, as though preparing for inevitable impact; Charlotte stepped forward then, reaching the Augment's side in a few steps and finding herself rendered breathless as she looked down at him while he slept. He was no longer menacing…no longer a threat. Not like this. And it surprised her to acknowledge the creeping sense of sadness she felt as she recalled that he slept without knowing that his crew was very much alive; safe in their own cryotubes in the neighboring room. It pained her, more than she cared to admit, that Jim had done this; acting in much the same way as the late Admiral had in his deception…but of course, she had said nothing. She _couldn't_. Not when doing so would surely bring every action…every _detail_ of her life that followed into question as a result.

Returning her attention to the sleeping man before her, Charlotte ignored the sharp stab of something she couldn't quite recognize in her heart as her hand reached out of its own accord to brush away a stray tendril of dark hair from the Augment's face; her eyes pricking with unshed tears as she wordlessly thanked him. She couldn't be sure if the gratitude was for her own life, or Jim's…but she forced herself to shove that thought to the side as she dropped her hand away from Khan, turning away from him and heading back towards the door leading out to the main floor. She couldn't afford to look back. Not now. She had to move on; or at least try to.

_To boldy go…_

It was what her father would want…what Jim would want. Her mother, too. And so, as the distance increased between herself and the object of so much of her confusion; Charlotte forced whatever remorse and sadness she felt aside, locking those feelings safely away within her heart as she prepared to resume her life. The life that _he _had given her. The one she barely thought she deserved…

"_Sleep well_…"

(_fin._)

…

**Hello! And congratulations! You have just reached the end of this tale, and survived to tell everyone about it! Now, before y'all start protesting about how "this was supposed to be a Khan/OC" and "what the hell do you think you're doing"…know that I **_**do**_** have a sequel planned if anyone is interested. Which is basically the purpose of this little A/N. **_**Are**_** you interested in continuing onward? I do have several plots, admittedly, in my mind; so I can carry this out for as long as you want. And that, of course, will give us time to get more Khan/Char action. (Enter if you dare…)**

**That being said, if general consensus is that I should just end it here because you're starting to get bored with it all, I can do that too. I'll be sad, of course. But I wouldn't want to write something that no one would read. So I look forward to your input, whatever the case may be! And of course, THANK YOU to everyone who stuck with me this far in the game! I hope it was worth it.**

**Alrighty then, my doves; that's it for me. I'll be anxiously awaiting your reviews…and (hopefully) I shall see you in the very first installment of a sequel?**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**


	17. New Sequel!

**Hey all!**

**Just thought I'd let ya know that I actually ended up posting the first chapter to the sequel up tonight. It's called "Barriers, Broken", and it should be accessible via my profile (I think there's a time delay between when I post a new story, and when the site actually shows it…)**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**MJR**


End file.
